Comrades Marathon

The world's largest ultra-marathon, 90 km long that friends are from South African institution, internationally recognized for the body, undermining the challenge it presents, and the camaraderie it promotes among its thousands of participants.

 

Runs between the capital of Kwazulu-Natal province, Pietermaritzburg and the coastal city of Durban, race alternates each year between the "up run" from Durban and the "down run" from Pietermaritzburg. 

   

Unique test of endurance

The race was the idea of World War I veteran Vic Clapham, who wanted a living memorial to those South African soldiers killed in war. Clapham, who had endured a 2 700-kilometer route march through sweltering German East Africa, would the memorial to be a unique test of physical endurance of participants.

The formation of the breed states that one of its primary goals is to "celebrate mankind's spirit over adversity". 

Mates Marathon first took place in 1921 and has been run every year since except 1941 and 1945, when it was stopped during the Second World War.

Forty-eight runners entered the first race, but when they start shot was fired, only 34 had the heart to tackle the daunting task - not surprising when one considers that the course was tarred only in the last few kilometers into Durban.

A period of 12 hours was set and Bill Rowan became the inaugural winner, clocked 8:59 to win with 41 minutes from second placed Harry Phillips. Of the 34 starters, only 16 completed the course.

Why the other comrades were particularly

The second Comrades Marathon was special for three reasons. Firstly, it was the first time that the event was run on the more difficult "up" courses from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.

Second, Arthur Newton came first and won, going on to win the race five times to appear as the dominant during the 1920s. When he closed the run in 6:56 in 1923, there were only a handful of spectators on hand to see it finished, because so few thought it possible that the course can run as fast.

Thirdly ran Bill Payne, a Springbok rugby player, one of the most storied races in the history of the comrades. Payne host Newton the night before during and after a series of stiff drinks, was persuaded to enter. He arrived in time to start wearing his rugby boots. 

At Hillcrest, he stopped for the first time to take on a breakfast of bacon and eggs. Not much a guy runner, called for "Zulu" Wade Payne for a chicken curry. They are consumed, and then continued on to Drummond, where they celebrated reaching half-way by drinking a beer at the hotel.

Wade does not continue, but Payne did. A woman spectator on the way helped him to keep his energy levels up by giving him with oranges, peaches, brandy, water and tea. He finished eighth.

The next day, Payne participated in a club rugby match, but because his feet were blistered from the long run in rugby boots, he chose to play the match in his running shoes.

2000s

The 75th anniversary of the Comrades Marathon in 2000 was the biggest ever staged, with a massive at 23,961. An extra hour was allowed for a bronze medal finishers to celebrate the milestone. Vladimir Kotov Belarus won the men's race, the first of three victories, while Maria Bak of Germany won the women's race for the second time. 

In 2001, when the event back to the 11 hour limit ran resigned to more normal levels, to participate at just over 14,000. A policeman from the Cape, Andrew Keleher second in 1999, made it memorable as he rose to the title, beating off a strong foreign challenge to land South Africa's first victory in five years. Elvira Kolpakova of Russia won the women's race.

In 2002 fought Belarussia Vladimir Kotov off challenge veteran Willie Mtolo to win it again in 5:30:58. Mtolo who fought hard against the end, held out Aubeso Jorge Martinez to take second, just 15 meters ahead of the Spaniard. Victory in the women's race in 2002 went to Germany Maria Bak for the third time, despite the fact that she has suffered a nasty fall in the last two kilometers. Russians Natalia Volgina and Marina Bychkova finished second and third respectively.

In 2003, the deadline for the course once again extended to 12 hours, this time permanently. Fusi Nhlapo of South Africa won the down run and took a popular victory only weeks after losing his job. His winning time was five hours, 28 minutes and 52 seconds. Women's race was dominated by the Russian sisters Oelysa and Elena Nurgalieva. The 27-year-old twins ran together until about 15 kilometers from the past, when Elena pulled away to win by four and a half minutes.

In 2004, Vladimir Kotov, the oldest ever winner of the race, taking victory in the race for the third consecutive time at the age of 46, shortly before the race, Kotov was a South African national who settled in Cape Town. Elena Nurgalieva successfully defended her women's title, breaking Ann Trason record with a time of six hours, 13 minutes and 23 seconds.

In 2005 came Kotov and Nurgalieva to defend their titles, but none were successful. Kotov came home in fourth place as South Africa's Sipho Ngomane shocked the field to record the victory in 5:27:10. He had been running mates only once previously, finishing 389: ei 2003rd In the women's race, won the 100 km former world champion Tatiana Zhirkova third-fastest time ever for a woman, 5:58:50, for a decisive victory over Oleysa Nurgalieva and her twin, Elena, which was dry.

In 2006, argued Oleg Kharintonov his first Comrades Marathon title in his sixth attempt in the race - he had previously taken the twelfth, fourth, second, third and second. Elena Nurgalieva claimed that women's title for the third time to record an up-run record of 6:09:23 to better her own record by two minutes and 22 seconds.

In 2007, finally, Bruce Fordyce's 21-year-old record for driving crashed. Russia's Leonid Shvetsov smashed the mark with more than three minutes with a fantastic time, five hours, 20 minutes and 49 seconds. For the fourth time, took Nurgalieva a victory in the women's race, but this time it was Olesya who won, clocking six hours, 10 minutes and 11 seconds to finish 29 seconds ahead of her sister Elena.

In 2008 completed Shvetsov a back-to-back victory, breaking a record by 47 seconds in his winning time of 5:24:48. In the women's race, Russian Elena Nurgalieva won her fourth comrades in a time of 6:14:36, beating her twin sister Olesya into second place.