Marathons by Route Type
The 81 standard marathons are evenly split between circular , point-to-point , out-and-back and double-lapper route types . Many of the new marathons on the calendar are point-to-point , which is somewhat surprising , since this is the most logistically challenging option for both runners and organisers .
On the ultra side , point-to-point dominates . There were only three circular routes and the Bruintjieshoogte 50km was the only out-and-back ultra in 2022 .
Costs and Inflation
The graph below shows the average cost per kilometre to enter marathons and ultras by province , including the percentage increase between 2019 and 2022 . During this time period , the CPI ( consumer price index ) was 4.12 % ( 2019 ), 3.21 % ( 2020 ) and 4.61 % ( 2021 ), and if my maths is correct , that equates to an overall compound inflation of 12.3 % over the period . This is a lot lower than the 42.3 % MRPI ( marathon running price index ) inflation experienced by the distance running community over the same period !
Gauteng has overtaken KwaZulu-Natal at the top of the table , and even without e-tolls , it is by far the most expensive place in the country to run , at R8.11 / km . The highest inflation rate ( almost 80 %) was experienced in the Northern Cape , although the small number of 2022 marathons had an impact on these calculations . Instead , the frugal runner will want to plan a few trips to the Eastern Cape , which has the lowest cost per kilometre of R4.87 . The good news is that the countrywide average of R6.49 is still substantially less than a litre of petrol , so running remains the most cost-effective way to get around .
The final graph shows the breakdown of route type by province . Of interest is that Gauteng used to only have one non-double-lapper route ( Soweto ), but now there are five circular routes . The big factors in determining metro marathon routes are the cost and logistics of traffic impact , road closures and traffic police support , with the largest line item being traffic police costs , which makes double-lappers a necessary evil to keep race entry fees manageable .
Most Expensive
The Comrades entry fee of R1200 caused a lot of controversy when it was announced , and has the dubious honour of topping the cost per kilometre table . Two of the other big ultras , Om Die Dam and Two Oceans , complete the podium as the most expensive races in South Africa .
The rest of the table is filled by standard marathons . Of interest is that four of the five circular Gauteng marathons appear on this list . As mentioned previously , one of the largest costs of hosting a marathon in a metro is for road closures and traffic control , and whilst we runners might bemoan the rising entry fee costs , the only people getting rich off road running are traffic departments . COVID restrictions on field size and additional costs to comply with COVID regulations also impacted the 2022 entry fees .
The Knysna Heads Marathon provides amazing value at R1.90 / km
30 ISSUE 156 | www . modernathlete . co . za