Jeff Ramokoka is getting close to a ‘ Pacing Green Number ’

On Sunday 11 June , the Comrades Marathon will once again take to the roads between Pietermaritzburg and Durban , for the 96 th edition of the Ultimate Human Race . As the thousands of runners tackle the 87.7km route , many will look to the guidance of the official Comrades Marathon Pacesetters to help them reach the finish within their target time , by hopping on to a pacing ‘ bus ’ led by these pacesetters . – BY SEAN FALCONER

While unofficial pacing has been part of the Comrades for many years , official pacing busses were first introduced to the race in 2003 , with nine-time winner Bruce Fordyce ( sub-9 hours ) amongst those first seven pacesetters , who led sub-9 , sub-11 and sub-12 buses . Since then the pacing buses have become a big part of the Comrades Marathon , with the sub-12 buses in particular proving hugely popular as runners desperately try to beat the final cut-off , and many bus drivers are known for their singing , chanting and joking , which helps the runners get through the hard kilometres .

Permission Granted

As per strict rules introduced at the beginning of 2019 by Athletics South Africa ( ASA ), there is a clear difference between ‘ pacing ,’ which benefits contenders for prizes , versus ‘ pacesetting ,’ which is aimed at slower , noncontenders . Pacing is only allowed when officially sanctioned by athletics officials ( national or provincial ), while pacesetting is allowed as long as the race organiser has approved it . In this case , the Comrades Marathon Association ( CMA ) has once again given permission for the official Comrades Pacesetters to carry their time flags in the Ultimate Human Race , and runners should take note that these are the only official pacesetters in the race .

Each bus driver will carry a distinctive flag denoting their target time , ranging in

30-minute intervals from sub-9 to sub-12 , so that runners can easily spot them , hop on the bus of their choice , and rely on the Pacesetter to guide them home

on time . This year , for the first time , the CMA has agreed to produce the flags that the bus drivers will carry , and Mr Price has come on board as well to kit the Pacesetters out for the Comrades Expo . ( They will still run the race in their club colours .) Also , Modern Athlete magazine is an official media partner of the Official Comrades Pacesetters .

Tried and Trusted Pacers

The list of 2023 Comrades Pacesetters once again includes some well-known and highly experienced stalwarts of previous years , as well as a few new faces , and they hail from all corners of the country . Several important factors were taken into consideration in the selection process , including previous Comrades record , knowledge and experience of the route and distance , as well as historical pacesetting record , consistency and ability to lead a group home .

In the list below , the Pacesetters are arranged according to the target time they will be aiming for , and the list includes their name , home province , number of Comrades medals ( for completing the race ), and the number of times they have officially paced in the Comrades . ( Please note that where it says the runner is making their pacing debut , that pertains specifically to the Comrades . All are highly experienced Pacesetters , with many pacing races under their belts .)

SUB-9:00

SUB-9:30

SUB-10:00

Bill Rowan medal

Safe Robert Mtshali medal

Robert Mtshali medal

Images : Sean Falconer & Courtesy Comrades Marathon

20 ISSUE 159 | www . modernathlete . co . za