MESSSAGES
MAKING A BOLD
STATEMENT
The 92 nd running of the Comrades Marathon carries a new brand campaign ; ‘ Zinikele – It takes all of you .’ This follows in the footsteps of the ‘ Izokuthoba – It will humble you ’ campaign that was incredibly well received by all of our stakeholders last year . This year we chose a slogan with a double-meaning . It strives to make a statement to everyone who takes part , whether they are volunteers , partners , sponsors , runners or spectators . It takes everyone to make this race so special .
It strives to make a bold statement that this race is not for the faint-hearted ; it takes discipline , endurance , determination and perseverance to run The Ultimate Human Race . Our 2017 campaign slogan also serves to attract a new generation of runners . Last year we had 7300 novices entering the race . One in every three was a first-timer . At the time of writing , entries show that this trend continues , which augurs well for our race going forward .
The Comrades brand is constantly evolving . This is essential for the health of the brand and the future of our world class race . In order to achieve this , we have introduced numerous new elements such as the Caduceus , The Last Post , History DVD , Webinars , Podcasts , Reveille at the start , Museum upgrade , Comrades Float , another Eye in the Sky , Team Comrades as a sub-brand , eight additional TV camera points , Street Pole Advertising , four further Monuments on the route , Wall of honour upgrade , Cartoon Map , additional Memorabilia , Media Breakfast , Media Gantry at the finish line , Women ’ s Media Truck ; all of which served to elevate our brand ’ s visibility .
Our social media thrust and ultimate live app also significantly improved the communication around our brand . The result of all this was that the Comrades Marathon won the Discovery Sports Brand of the Year as well as the Discovery Mass Participation Event of the year in 2016 . So our brand is in a very good space at the moment .
In closing , we would like to wish all our runners the very best for the 92 nd Comrades Marathon . The Official Comrades Coach , Lindsey Parry , will be available to answer all your questions on our website and social media platforms , at roadshows , women and novice seminars , and via increased webinars and podcasts .
Finally , we also encourage you to engage with our current champions , David Gatebe and Charne Bosman . They are both incredibly approachable and warm individuals . We could not have asked for two better Brand Ambassadors for Comrades . Our Sponsors have embraced them and we have no doubt that their tenure as current winners will be rewarding for them . We hope your plans and preparations are flawless and that you receive all the information you require to achieve your goals . Good luck and safe running .
Chris Fisher
CMA General Manager
WHY I LOVE THE COMRADES
The first time I watched the Comrades on TV in the early 80s , I must have been about seven or eight years old . To be honest , I don ’ t remember the details of that first race I watched , or the following years ’ races for that matter , but I do recall growing up in the Bruce Fordyce era and watching him win the race year after year . I also saw Frith van der Merwe ’ s barnstorming run that almost took her into the overall top 10 , and watched an 80-year-old Wally Hayward make an incredible last-gasp finish to beat the cut-off .
These and other memories of those years stuck in my memory long before I took up running myself , and to this day they still inspire me , as do the countless memories of the race I have since then . That is the power of the Comrades Marathon . It ’ s an event that inspires , motivates , captivates and excites , and each year it draws tens of thousands of runners to the roads , not just to run the Comrades , but also to take up running after watching the race .
The focus of this magazine is on those who are training for the 2017 Comrades , because it requires months of steady build-up to prepare one ’ s body for the 88km journey between Durban and Pietermaritzburg . That ’ s why Modern Athlete , SA ’ s biggest running publication , publishes this official Comrades Training and Info Guide on behalf of the Comrades Marathon Association , featuring the training programmes for four different race target times compiled by the official Comrades Coach Lindsey Parry .
His programmes have been proven to work – not just for the thousands of successful Comrades finishers who have followed them , but also the 2015 and 2016 women ’ s winners , Caroline Wӧstmann and Charne Bosman . Find the programme that fits your goals and ability , then do the hard yards and make sure you get to the start line ready to run . All the best for your training and see you in Durban in June !
Sean Falconer
Modern Athlete Editor
Images : Courtesy CMA
6 Comrades Training & Information Guide 2017