Comrades runners to take the shortest route
The official route distance of this year’s 97th Comrades Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg has been revealed – and it’s the shortest in the history of the famous ultramarathon.
The Comrades committee said yesterday that the distance of the up run on 9 June will be 85.91km.
That makes this year’s run nearly 820m shorter than the last up run in 2019.
The last time the race finished at the Scottsville Racecourse five years ago, the distance was 86.73km, the same year in which reigning Comrades Marathon champion, Gerda Steyn, set the current best up run time of 5he 58min 53 in the women’s race.
Furthermore, when Leonid
Shvetsov set the still standing men’s best up run time of 5:24:49 in 2008, at The Oval Cricket Ground in Pietermaritzburg, the distance was 86.94km.
The difference in distances over the years is mainly due to the roadworks and varying routes taken on the run out of Durban.
This year, the race has had to accommodate ongoing roadworks at the Umlaas Road Interchange and will follow a route through the suburbs of Cleland and Pelham. This is similar to that used in 2013 and 2015.
With 78 days to Comrades race day, Ann Ashworth, Comrades Marathon Association race & operations manager, advised runners to make their way to the start of the race early.
“Due to the ongoing roadworks, we ask all our athletes to make their way to the Durban City Hall timeously to avoid the traffic congestion and potentially miss the start of the race.”
This year’s Comrades will be the 49th up run.
Mmasekepe Matsebane Radio host