Comrades stalwarts ready to run
DUNCAN GUY
MORE than 30 000 runners have entered tomorrow’s Race The Comrades Legends virtual event, on the day the 2020 Comrades Marathon was scheduled, and more are expected.
People may run any time from midnight tonight to midnight tomorrow and register up until 1pm tomorrow. Participants from 86 different countries will enter a variety of distance categories and have chosen their own venues on their properties, on the open road or even on treadmills, to challenge the times of Comrades Marathon legends such as Samuel Tshabalala, Bruce Fordyce and several others who will take part.
Also participating will be last year’s men’s winner, Edward Mothibi, and his female counterpart, Gerda Steyn.
“I was quite devastated when they announced that the Comrades road race would not be happening this year (because of Covid-19) so this news really lifted my spirits,” Mothibi told the Independent on Saturday.
Steyn said she felt motivated and excited about “doing something a little bit different”.
“We all miss racing and running with our friends and we want to encourage everyone to have a bit of fun until we get back to normality,” she said from her home in Dubai.
“It’s a great message about humanity taking difficulty in our stride and working around the pandemic restrictions.”
Among the entrants are former Comrades Marathon winners and gold medallists, including the winner of the 1965 Comrades Marathon, Bernard Gomersall, who is now 87 and will participate in the 5km event in Washington DC, in the US, said Comrades spokesperson Delaine Cools.
Nine-time Comrades champ, Bruce Fordyce will run the 10km race, while 1982 Women’s Winner and current CMA chairperson, Cheryl Winn, will participate in the 5km event.
Four-time Comrades winner and quadruple Green Number legend, Alan Robb; 1991 winner, Nick Bester; 2005 champ, Sipho Ngomane; and former local champion, Shaun Meiklejohn, will also take part.
Other gold medallists include Prodigal Khumalo, Trevor Parry, Fikile Mbuthuma, Sanet Beukes, Carol Crosley, Carla Molinaro, Melanie van Rooyen, Mahlomola Sekhonyana, Hester Kotze, Colin Goosen, Lucy Ker and Lesley Austin.
South African running legend Blanche Moila is also entered in the 45km event.
“The CMA is ensuring that Race The Comrades Legends is the ultimate virtual race and helps raise funds for the charitable sector amid the Covid19 lockdown,” said Cools.
CMA vice-chairperson, Mqondisi Ngcobo, will do the traditional 90km official Comrades Marathon distance from his home in Pietermaritzburg on the Umbumbulu Road. If successful, he will be awarded the rare and prestigious Race the Comrades Legends 90km Gold Medal.
The immediate past two CMA chairpersons, Sifiso Nzuza and Macdonald Chitja, as well as board member Isaac Ngwenya, with a total of 58 Comrades Marathons between them, will run together, but appropriately socially-distanced, towards completing the newly-designated Half Comrades or 45km distance, to each earn a Race The Comrades Legends 45km Silver Medal.
Chasing the Race The Comrades Legends 21.1km Bronze Medal are CMA board members Steve Mkasi and Pat Freeman, while board members Les Burnard, Celi Makhoba and Zinhle Sokhela hope to earn the distinctive Race The Comrades Legends 10km Matt Black Medal.
Aiming for the 5km Red Oxide medal, Mervyn Williams and his double Green Number wife, Paddy, who is recovering from recent knee-replacement surgery, will be completing their 5km in Underberg.
Founding chair of the CMA, Mick Winn, 89, will be pushed 5km in a wheelchair, by his wife, Cheryl, the present chair, and other family members.
Cheryl stressed that all participants should follow National Lockdown Regulations.