Foreign or domestic, everyone’s a comrade in arms

COMRADES fever has exploded in Pietermaritzburg and Durban as many of the world’s leading ultra-marathon athletes assemble for the biggest ultra on the planet.

Mass participation in distance running exploded around the world from the 1970s, but has been associated only with standard marathons of 42km or shorter distances. Ultra-marathons, and particularly those in excess of 50 miles or 80km, remain the preserve of a small minority of highly-trained runners.

With one exception. Over 20 000 entrants for Sunday’s 95th Comrades will this year run “downhill” over 89km between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, in South Africa’s most significant distance-running event.

Domination of the Comrades by overseas athletes in the early 2000s has been turned around of late, and last year’s “up” winners Gift Kelehe and Caroline Wöstmann will again challenge strongly for line honours.

As with the Two Oceans, the IAAF ban on the participation of Russian athletes in global competition will impact the Comrades, particularly in the women’s competition, where the Nurgalieva twins Elena and Olesya have long dominated.

In their absence, the overseas threat appears to be strongest from Western Europe, where Swede Jonas Buud, the current world 100km champion, and 2014 winner, British–Canadian Ellie Greenwood, will again be looking to challenge for podium places.

Whether either runner has what it takes to dethrone Kelehe or Wöstmann, only raceday will reveal.

Closer to home, the threat from over the border is likely to come from north of the Limpopo, when those in the know are tipping triple Two Oceans winner, Zimbabwean Marko Mambo, to spring a surprise.

Following his Oceans success in 2004, 2005 and 2008, Mambo’s attempts at Comrades glory have failed in the latter stages of the race.

In the down run of 2012, he started too fast and paid the price, slowing badly in the final stages. He still managed to finish fourth in 5 hours 31 minutes.

Similarly in 2014, he led the race over Fields Hill, but severe cramps put an end to victory hopes. Word is that Mambo is in top shape this year and is focused on turning around his Comrades fortunes.

Unlike Mambo, compatriot Stephen Muzinghi is no stranger to Comrades success, with three wins in an impressive portfolio of nine successive gold medals, suggesting the strong running Zimbabwean will again be a title contender.

“Local Hero” Bongmusa Mthembu was arguably the most popular winner in recent years, with his surprise victory in 2014. No longer enjoying anonymity, Mthembu will be aiming to repeat his “down” victory, but fellow South Africans Ludwick Mamabolo (2012 winner) and David Gatebe (2013 Two Oceans winner) look more likely to take line honours.

Cape Town’s hopes in the men’s race rest with Gert Thys and Mthandazo Qhina.

Greenwood, who shocked the Nurgalievas by surging past them to break the tape in 2014, is likely to provide Wöstmann’s strongest challenge.

However, Swede Frida Sodermark, eighth in 2013, 52-year-old Colleen de Reuck, Pretoria’s Charne Bosman (runner-up last year) and Capetonian Kerry-Ann Marshall are all likely to challenge for podium places.

Given their professionalism, focus, preparation and conditioning, though, Wöstmann and Kelehe start as overwhelming favourites to clinch the unusual “up–down” double and reap the lion’s share of South Africa’s richest footrace.