After all the slanging that has gone backwards and forwards between the top professional teams, the organisers, promoters and the athletes, Monday’s Comrades Marathon marks a new dispensation in the history of the run.
The winner and the overall performance of the race will be a healthy indicator that could show the future direction not only of one of the country’s premier sports events but also of the state of running in general.
Tasked at their last sponsors’ conference with breathing life into the ailing behemoth, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA), never quick in moving forward, elected to hire a high-powered CEO and go on a countrywide drive to increase entrance in this year’s down-run.
They also made the bold step of increasing the cut-off time to 12 hours, in the hope that they would emulate the 25 000 runners that lined up for the turn-of-the-century run in 2000. The CMA’s drive has fallen short of their predicted 16 000 runners. They have only managed to entice 13 500 athletes to line up
outside the Pietermaritzburg city hall this coming Youth Day (June 16) and some creative footwork with the statistics showed a 9% increase. But compared to the last down-run in 2001, the numbers show an alarming decline in participation.
By all accounts the hiring of the highly paid CEO is making waves. Some of the old-timers have questioned his reputed six-figure package that is contrary to the ethos of an organisation largely driven by volunteers. The business sector seems to have given him a tentative thumbs-up, adopting a wait-and-see attitude. Come showtime on Monday and all the talk will come to nothing, all the focus will be out on the street and the outcome will be as important as ever. A South African winner of the race, whether male or female, is of paramount importance to the long-term wellbeing of the Comrades.
The average spectator and runner has had enough of international athletes arriving, taking away the country’s gold and disappearing, only to be seen again
a week before next year’s run.
The race needs another local hero. Where are the Wally Haywards, Bruce Fordyces and Frith van der Merwes of the past? Two previous Russian winners, Dmitri Grishin and Vladimir Kotov, have settled in South Africa but, what with the rumpus Grishin created when he criticised the CMA about the size of the prize purse and the equal payment to women, it’s high time we had a homegrown runner with a sense of camaraderie finishing first.
There is no way that Fordyce would have been lambasted from all quarters about anything. In fact the nine-times winner has been a pioneer for prize money, even way back in the 1980s when the word ”amateur” was as much a part of South African sport as biltong, braaivleis, sunny skies and bakkies.
In the long history of the race — started by the late Vic Clapham as a dedication to comrades who fell during World War I — there have only been two black winners in a sport that is dominated by black athletes over every distance.
In the many races that take place every weekend around the country, it is a rarity for white runners to even make it into the top 20. Why, then, is this trend reversed in the Comrades?
Black South African athletes display all the hunger and the talent that it takes to win but, in most cases, they lack the training and supportive infrastructure that is so important for athletic championship.
There is no doubt that the Mathews Temanes of this world are hero worshipped — if this winner could get the message across to the masses, the flood gates would open and the Russian brigade will be lucky to even make the top 10 in future years.
There is an even a bigger contingent of international athletes in the down-run in this year’s race. It is sad that some sponsors put much-needed resources into bringing out hoards of athletes that deliver them brilliant publicity from a win but do nothing to develop local talent. There can be no doubt that a local hero would be worth 10 times more than a visitor who can hardly string a simple sentence together in English.
If ever the stage was set for a local win, it has got to be this year. All the indicators point toward a return to the winner’s rostrum for the locals. History shows that both previous black wins have come from the torturous down-run — athletes like former New York Marathon winner Willie Mtolo is rumoured to be in great shape. The hometown boy has stood on the runner-up step on two occasions. He certainly has the experience to pull off another victory.
He will be relying on the support of Harmony teammates Daniel Radebe, John September, Tidimalo (Jerry) Modiga, Graham Meyer and Donovan Wright, who is recovering from the three brain operations he has had since his last Comrades in 2001.
After his maiden gold in last year’s race, Albie Geldenhuys will no doubt be back to push himself further, along with Moses Lebakeng, Nicholas Nyengerayi and Michael Mpotoane. The sports marketing manager of Nike SA, Rowyn James, and sponsors of the Liberty Nike team believe that Fusi Nhlapo or Sarel Ackermann have a good chance of running off with the R160 000 first prize, as has Joseph Ikaneng, Walter Nkosi and former down-run winner Andrew Kelehe.
If veteran Maria Bak runs according to her pedigree, she should be the winner. However, the Mr Price team is bristling with foreigners who have the credentials to win.
Defending women’s champion Elvira Kolpakova is one, as is Hungarian Simone Staicu, who would love to make the same dream debut in the Comrades as she did in her maiden Two Oceans Marathon.
A first for the race will be the appearance of twin sisters Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva, also from Russia. Should they make it into the gold- medal placings it would be a record achievement that would be tough to top in the future.
The fight for line honours between the local girls should be between Farwa Mentoor, Grace de Oliviera, Sarah Mahlangu, Madeleen Otto and novice Yolandi Maclean.