The Comrades medal may be small in size , but the desire to earn one is often huge ! |
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annual figure that rarely exceeded 20 , there were 352 in 2021 , and certainly an increase in serious cases and deaths being observed in sports events .
This year , 82 runners were treated at hospital , with only 28 admitted , seven of which went to intensive care , while an additional 221 were given assistance at the medical facility at the finish , with a further 121 treated for minor incidents such as cramps . This represents a figure of 2.8 % of runners being treated medically – by comparison , roughly 3.6 % of runners were treated medically in the 2019 Up Run . Further comparison shows that while the number admitted to the ICU were identical , there were three taken to high care in 2019 , but overall , the percentage of runners hospitalised are also comparable .
Overall , it seems that 2022 may have been medically better than previous editions . However , it is worth noting that medical considerations were clearly not considered when various campaigns pushed for a return to June dates , as the campaign and the ASA draft fixture list was circulated before the event . This suggests that the decision is one of internal politics rather than analysis , logic or a fair trial of a new direction .
Now for the Wish List …
Whilst looking back at comparisons can be a learning experience , there is nothing that can be changed in the past , whereas things can be achieved in the future . Over the past weeks , runners have utilised social media to deliver a wish list of changes they ’ d like to see implemented by the Comrades , many of which look reasonable , perhaps even ‘ good ideas .’ Unfortunately , those close to the Comrades , and most event organisations , would see that some of these wishes are mutually exclusive . Let ’ s take the call for increased prize money as an example .
It ’ s true that R260,000 ( US $ 16,200 ) for first place is minimal in world terms . By comparison , first place in a leading 10km in Nigeria will earn you US $ 20,000 , and a marathon in Lagos or Nairobi will earn the winner US $ 50,000 to US $ 60,000 . But what are the standard of athletes involved in these different events ? Without in any way being derogatory , a Comrades winner is typically only a 2:14 to 2:15 marathoner , and perhaps capable of a sub-29-minute for 10km . Bruce Fordyce had a 2:17 marathon PB , and clocked 30:11 for
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10,000m on the track , and he won the Comrades nine times , with times that would still claim podium places more than 30 years later . The winning women have typically been 2:27 to 2:29 marathoners , and sub-34- minute 10km runners .
Meanwhile , a male runner with a 2:28 marathon time and a woman with a three-hour time could be in the running for the lucky gold medals of eighth , ninth and tenth places at Comrades . The reality is that such performance levels at the shorter distances would provide virtually no financial rewards elsewhere in the world , and nowhere else in the world would such club level performances earn monthly retainers and contracts that are offered by corporate clubs here .
In other words , SA elites are not world elites , but a key point to appreciate is that as soon the prize money and retainers do increase , so the standards for being in so-called ‘ elite clubs ’ will also grow . On the other hand , if sufficient money and incentives were given to a 2:04 marathoner to focus on Comrades preparation and pacing , the five-hour barrier could be broken . Money and standards need to go hand in hand .
It ’ s a Numbers Game
Comrades started 2022 with a deficit and planned for a R6 million loss . With a cap of 15,000 runners , there was little opportunity for the event to win the financial battle . Logically the greater the number of runners , the greater the potential income , but keep in mind that entry fees – even with 27,500 in 2020 – only accounted for around 35 % of the total race budget . Sponsors provide the balance of funding , products and services … and they want a return on their investment , because nothing comes without a pricetag . Generally , these sponsors want to see increases in their sales , by using the opportunity to market to and / or interact with the runners and their families .
There is a clear link between many facets , including the number of runners , entry fee pricing , broadcast viewership , sponsors interest and return , and total funding potential . While the impact of these aspects can change , the basics are that the more runners recruited , the lower the possible entry fee , the greater the general viewership , the greater the potential and interest of sponsors , the greater the commercial value , which inevitably opens the option of reviewing available
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prize money . No matter which way it is pitched , though , there is a need for financial balance , because too many years of planning for and accepting an overall loss will inevitably result in the death of the race .
Clearly then , numbers are essential to the success and sustainability of the race , particularly if lower entry fees and higher prize money are considered important . Ironically , though , some of the people calling for lower fees and increased prize money on their wish list are actually contradicting their own cause by also calling for a return to the Kingsmead cricket ground , which was the Down Run finishing venue from 1976 until 2016 .
The challenge here is that Comrades had already exceeded the stated static disaster management capacity of Kingsmead , which meant innovative rotation of crowds was necessary in order to obtain approval for the event . Therefore , a return to Kingsmead would effectively mean restricted numbers , which could potentially increase ( or maintain ) high entry fees , and reduce viewership , leading to reduced sponsor interest , and reduced financial or product input . This would clearly then maintain lower prize money , or even reduce it further , which would cause even more unhappiness .
The Great Date Debate
There has been much negative reaction to the Comrades decision to move from June to late August this year , with many runners complaining about it being much harder to train through the colder winter months . There are rumours that the race may move back to June , but at the time of writing , the date of the next Comrades still needs finalisation . That said , as explained earlier , there is no indication of any negative influence in the results caused by the later August date . If anything , the medical reports appear to be slightly better , despite the general global post-COVID trend for more problems . It may even be argued that these figures show that there is an advantage in the August date , as it resulted in a higher finishing rate of 88 %, opposed to the normal 84 to 85 %.
On a related note , could that increase in finishing percentage be due to training in colder weather , which science suggests is beneficial to recovery ? Virtually every professional sportsperson uses ice
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Images : Tobias Ginsberg |