Indians losing the way to Comrades
WHERE have the Indian marathon runners gone? Recent musings by POST columnist Yogin Devan about the dearth of Indian runners at this year’s Comrades Marathon have elicited a flood of responses from readers agreeing with this trend.
Seeking reasons, POST contacted some of the running clubs based in traditionally Indian areas and they concurred.
The public relations officer of Chatsworth Athletic Club, Rathen Govender, said this was the first year they fielded under 100 runners at the Comrades.
“Only 81 of our members registered to run this year’s event. Of this, only about 45 completed the race. We normally used to have over 100 runners taking part,” said Govender.
“There are various reasons for this. For one, we are living in times when crime plagues our community and runners don’t want to hit the roads after dark. To train effectively for the marathon, one has to run at least 30km at a stretch. This will mean hitting the roads at around four to five in the mornings and if they don’t run in a group, they are opening themselves to mugging.”
The problem of crime affecting runners was brought to the fore when Comrades legend Bruce Fordyce was robbed of his takkies and watch while on a run in Johannesburg recently.
Govender added another factor was the cost of taking part.
“We are living in tough economic times and the race fee of R500 is considered exorbitant. Besides the race fee, the supplements and running gear are overpriced.”
Govender also noted the average age of runners in his club was rising.
“Technology is a big setback when it comes to encouraging youngsters to take up running. They are preoccupied with their cellphones and video games.”
Govender concluded that this sedentary lifestyle would come back to bite in later years in terms of personal health.
Veteran Comrades runner Poobie Naidoo, of Pietermaritzburg, said that, like Devan, he too looked out for Indian runners every year, hoping they would feature in the top 100.
“A few years ago, I was interviewed by our local paper. My views were that our Indian runners lack commitment and I was lambasted for my comments.
“In the prime of my running career, I used to get up at 2am every day and run for two hours and then go to work. I could not even own a pair of running shoes,” he said.
“For the record, I am the only Indian runner who has won the 100-miler (160km) and have come second and third on a few occasions.
“This was done with great sacrifice to my family and myself to achieve my goal. However, I am sad I could not win a gold medal and make Indians proud.”
Added Naidoo: “I am willing and prepared to assist any runner who is dedicated to trying to win a gold medal for us.”
Reader Vasi Pillay said: “I joined Toti Parkrun in September last year and was sad to find that of a field of 300 people, not even 10 were Indian.
“Yet one can either walk or jog the 5km on the promenade and beach. Every completed event gets 300 points from Discovery to use as a discount on air tickets, for instance. So I don’t see why more Indians don’t take part.”
The chairman of Fieldhill Water Athletic Club, Vikesh Parshad, said he believed social evils such as drinking, smoking and taking drugs had consumed the youth to the extent they neglected sport.
“Not only road running is affected. Soccer and cricket suffer the same fate. Besides youngsters picking up bad habits, schools are blamed for their lack of interest in sport,” said Parshad.
“We don’t have a single junior runner in our club, despite going on a drive to recruit young runners. We even appointed development officers, who now don’t have anyone to develop. My fear is that once our current crop of runners retires, there won’t be anyone to take their place in our community.”
Veteran runner Logie Govender said if finance was a problem he was prepared to help.
“As a challenge, I am prepared to pay every needy Indian’s entry fee for next year’s Comrades.”
The media officer for the Comrades Association, Delaine Cools, said they did not classify runners by race.
“While I cannot give you the numbers you request, I can say that the number of athletes from India who take part in the Comrades is increasing nicely.”