Comrades marks 50th edition of ‘up run’ with big focus on safety

On Sunday, 14 June, approximately 20,000 runners are expected to line up at Durban City Hall for the 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon, South Africa’s “Ultimate Human Race”.

It is the ultimate challenge because it’s all about pain and commitment to pushing on to that infamous 12-hour cut-off no matter the circumstances.

But if there is a sliver of comfort for those about to tackle this iconic race, it’s that this year’s course is 85.777km, making it the shortest “up run” in recent Comrades history.

This year’s course, starting from Durban City Hall and ending at the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse, shaves off 133m from the 2024 distance of 85.91km.

The alteration comes down to necessary adjustments in response to ongoing infrastructure upgrades along the route.

This is according to Alain Dalais, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) general manager.

“Since the last ‘up run’ in 2024, we’ve had areas that have been basically shortened due to improvements in the roadworks,” Dalais told Daily Maverick. “That’s what led to us shaving off a bit of the distance.”

Provided roadworks and route conditions remain largely unchanged, the 2028 “up run” was expected to mirror this year’s distance, said Dalais.

This year’s event carries added significance as it marks the 50th edition of the “up run” and the last one before next year’s historic centenary.

“The Comrades is an integral part of South African history and, of course, sporting history,” said Dalais. “It is an extra special race for so many reasons, and this year is extra special because it’s the 50th up run and it’s the 99th Comrades Marathon before next year’s historic 100th running of the race.”

Safety first

According to Dalais, a big focus for this year will be runner safety and experience.

The race has introduced a three-group start format, adding an additional group from 2025, taking into account safety and medical assessments as well as positive feedback from athletes.

“There’s two priorities of why we are doing it: safety of the runners in terms of congestion and possibilities of pushing and shoving,” said Dalais. “The second one is the runner’s experience.

“Nobody wants to run where you’re constantly feeling like you might fall or get trampled on. It’s also not enjoyable if you’re feeling squashed or claustrophobic.”

Of the 22,000 entrants, 21,633 successfully qualified for this year’s race. However, Dalais expects the final field to shrink through normal attrition, with at least 20,000 runners expected to start.

Under the three-group start system, approximately 10,000 runners, including the elite athletes, would set off in the first group. The second group would comprise about 6,000 runners, while the final group would have roughly 4,000 runners, said Dalais.

“Ultimately, athletes have a lot more space to manoeuvre, they don’t feel squashed and their safety shouldn’t feel threatened,” said Dalais. “Additionally, by doing this the very last runner of each group will cross the start line in under six minutes. In previous years, where we had one Comrades start, the very last runner would take 12 to 13 minutes before they actually got off the start line.

“So it also helps in that way, by saving runners at least six to seven minutes each.”

Alleviating pace bus congestion

To further ensure safety and improve the race-day experience, pacesetters as well as their bus passengers will be required to run to one side of the road to minimise the impact of congestion of the bus on other runners.

“While the pacing buses are hugely popular with many runners, the CMA has received some negative feedback in previous years from non-bus runners, saying that the pacing buses sometimes grow quite large and thus either prevent other runners from passing, or bump other runners in passing,” said a CMA statement.

“Another reason for the CMA requesting the buses to be kept in check is to make it easier for emergency services to move on the route if needed,” the statement said.

‘A monumental task’

Staging a race that stretches between Durban and Pietermaritzburg is a massive logistical undertaking, with thousands of moving parts needing to work harmoniously to ensure success.

“It is a monumental task,” said Dalais. “Unlike other road races that are generally contained within a city, ours runs between two cities and smaller towns in between. The logistics are immense.”

With the support of municipalities, traffic authorities, the police and more than 6,000 volunteers, Dalais believes the event is well positioned to deliver a successful event.

“We just want everyone to take away a fantastic and exciting and safe experience,” he said. “From the registration for runners at the expo and of course at the start, throughout the route and at the finish.”

The Comrades Marathon takes place on Sunday, 14 June, with the first batch of runners setting off at 5am. DM