Comrades of the Race
The Comrades Marathon is arguably the greatest ultra marathon in the world. Athletes
come from all walks of life across the universe to combine muscle and mental strength
to conquer 90 kilometres between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The
Comrades Marathon attracts thousands of runners and tens of thousands of television
viewers every year.
This year the grueling marathon celebrates its 80th birthday in the usual style
of great fun, fanfare and camaraderie. It takes place on June 16.
History of the Race
The comrades marathon owes its beginnings to the vision of one man, World War
I veteran Vic Clapham.
Vic Clapham was born in London on 16 November 1886 and emigrated as a youth to
the Cape Colony in South Africa, with his parents. At the outbreak of the South
African War (Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902) he enrolled as an ambulance man into the
Cradock Town Guard at the age of 13. He later moved to Natal and worked as an
engine driver with the South African Railways.
With the outbreak of the Great War 1914-1918, Vic Clapham signed up with the 8th
South African Infantry, and fought and marched 1700 miles of the eastern savannahs
of Africa in pursuit of Glen Paul Von Lettow-Vorbecks askari battalions.
The pain, agonies, death and hardships of his comrades which he witnessed during
those awful days left a lasting impression on the battle-hardened soldier, especially
the camaraderie engendered among the men in overcoming these privations. Thus
when peace was declared in 1918, Clapham felt that all those who had fallen in
this catastrophic war should be remembered and honoured in a unique way, where
an individuals physical frailties could be put to the test and overcome.
Remembering the searing heat and thirst of the parched veld through which he had
campaigned, he settled on the idea of a marathon and he approached the athletic
authorities of the day to sound their views. His enquiry led him to the doors
of the League of Comrades of the Great War a corpus of ex-soldiers who had formed
an association to foster the interests of their living companions who had survived
the War.
Clapham asked for permission to stage a 56 mile race between Pietermaritzburg
and Durban under the name of the Comrades Marathon and for it to become a living
memorial to the spirit of the soldiers of the Great War. That was the birth of
an event that has now become one of the world's most attended races.
The first Comrades Marathon took place on 24th May 1921, Empire Day, starting
outside the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg with just 34 runners..
Comrades Tales
There are many stories that capture the meaning of true camaraderie within
the Comrades Marathon. But few touch the heart of many like the Hennie Loots
and Henk Meyer story.
What makes it so special is that Meyer is so badly mentally retarded that he
doesn't now his age, cannot read or spell and has no idea of the distance that
he runs every year. He only has 40% use of his left arm and although 34 years
of age, has the mental capacity of a four year old. Loots' job during Comrades
is to ensure that he finishes, hydrates correctly and does not get lost.
"Henk is my sister's son and he got malaria when he was four which affected
half of his brain", the 48-year-old Loots explains. "But we've noticed
that with the running, he is starting to improve." Loots, who often travels
through from Roodeport to pick up Meyer in Hartebeespoort, does train with Meyer
and also assists him in other races. "I've been doing it for 10 years now
and it's worth the effort," Loots says. "It's rewarding to see the
positive effect it has on him."
Comrades 2003 was a tough one for Meyer, who finished his seventh Comrades and
Loots his eleventh. "With 10km to go he started to cry and said that he
couldn't continue," Loots said, "but there's an inner strength in
him that's unexplainable and he kept going"
Race Information:
DATE AND TIME OF RACE:
The race will be run on Wednesday, 16 June 2004
The race is run from 'gun to gun' and will start at 05:30 and end at 17:30
ROUTE:
This is a DOWN RUN starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finishing
at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban.
DISTANCE:
The race distance is 89 km
ENTRY FEE:
South African Residents - R 110.00
Rest of Africa - R 140.00
International - US$ 100.00
Entry fee is waived for holders of 25 or more Comrades medals.
RESTRICTION ON ENTRY:
The Comrades Marathon is restricted to registered runners only. No wheelchairs
or any mechanical aids will be permitted. No runner may run with an animal under
any circumstances.
AGE RESTRICTION:
The minimum age requirement is that the athlete turns 20 during the year 2004
For more information about the Comrades Marathon visit www.comrades.com
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