Achi news desk-
Put on those running shoes and get ready for an unforgettable Comrades Marathon in the 97th! This year’s historic Durban to Pietermaritzburg ultra-marathon is expected to be the shortest in the event’s long history.
According to the Comrades committee, runners will tackle a distance of 85.91km on 9 June for the Up Run, making it almost 820m shorter than the previous Up Run held in 2019.
Rewind to 2019, and the race finished at Scottsville Racecourse with a distance of 86.73km – the same year Gerda Steyn etched her name in the record books with an impressive women’s Run Up time of 5:58:53.
Casting our minds back to 2008, when Leonid Shvetsov set the men’s best Uphill Run time of 5:24:49, the route ended at the Oval Cricket Stadium in Pietermaritzburg, covering a distance of 86.94km. The changing distances over the years can be attributed to the changing landscape of roadworks and route modifications made for the race.
This year, due to ongoing roadworks at the Umlaas Road Interchange, runners will cross through the suburbs of Cleland and Pelham, reminiscent of the routes used in 2013 and 2015.
With just 78 days until race day, CMA Race and Operations Manager Ann Ashworth is urging participants to arrive at Durban City Hall early to avoid traffic jams and ensure they don’t miss the starting gun.
As the 49th Race Up in Comrades history, this year’s marathon promises to be an unforgettable event, with route changes and ongoing road improvements adding an extra layer of excitement to the already iconic race.
Main photo: The Citizen
