Comrades Supplement Comrades Training and Info Guide, January 2014 | Page 10

THE ROUTE

in for the Downs
Tra

Only eight men thus far have
managed the feat of running the
Comrades 40 times or more, and
unsurprisingly, they are treated as
VIPs by their fellow runners and
constantly asked for advice. One of
these ‘elder statesmen’ of the race
is Barry Holland, who ran his 41st
consecutive Comrades in 2013, just
a few months after bringing out his
autobiography, The Barry Holland
Story: 40 Consecutive Comrades
Marathons, which includes crucial
advice about the Comrades
course. So take note of Barry’s
course breakdown and know what
you need to train for on race day.

10 Comrades Supplement 2014

T

o plan your race, it is useful to break the
course into sections. This helps to sort out time
splits, knowing where you should be by when.
It is also of great help psychologically. These
sections break the course up into bite-sized
chunks, because it’s easier to get your head
around an 18km section than the whole of
the 89km course. You will also run sections
differently, putting your foot down in some to
gain some time in the bag, while in others you
may be best served by caution and just grinding
it out.

SECTION 1:

Start to Umlaas Road

(0km – 18km)
It’s often cold at the start of the Down Run, so
take a long-sleeved top and gloves – you can
pass them onto a needy person by the side
of the road later – and it often remains cold
until well after Polly’s. Now, it’s a long, steady
climb out of Pietermaritzburg to the top of Polly
Shortts, then you drop down and climb the back
of Little Polly’s (Tumble Inn) to the motorway.
Take it easy here – there is ample time to race
later. You can be a few minutes off the pace at
this stage, but don’t be too cautious.

After the subway under the motorway, look
out for the water tower up ahead on the
left, a signal that the long climb from the
start is nearly over. About 2km later, you’ll
reach Umlaas Road, the highest point on the
Comrades course. Early caution in this first
section will be rewarded later on.

SECTION 2: Umlaas Road to

Inchanga (18km – 41km)
This section is quick. If your start has
been circumspect, you can pick up any
lost time here. Unwind, relax and let it
go. You can afford to be brave on the first
half of the Down Run. You can land up
15 minutes ahead of your schedule at the
half-way point. There are fantastic crowds at
Camperdown and Cato Ridge and there are
no major hills in this section; the inclines are
short and recovery fast.

SECTION 3: Inchanga to

Hillcrest (41km – 52km)
As you reach the back of Inchanga, the
party is unfortunately over. There is some
seriously hard running ahead. This section
is perhaps the hardest part of the course,