the crowds , and a large number of runners who didn ’ t respect the ‘ rules of the road ’ by sticking to their seeding batches , the start could so easily have turned into a nightmare for many . When runners began climbing over fences , then actually charged and broke down some of the fencing , the start descended into chaos , and I am just thankful that nobody ( that I am aware of ) was seriously injured .
Unheeded Safety Warnings …
The changes to the route shortly after the start , taking the still tightly bunched field of some 16,000 runners from a four-lane start area to a dark , two-lane , potholed and obstructed road could so easily have ended in disaster , and the fear of this happening prompted various people to approach the CMA and plead with them to rethink their route change . There were even some who feared a repeat of the crowd surge stampede at Ellis Park , which saw people crushed to death , and I think the warnings that went out to the running community did help to prepare many runners to be patient and play it safe . Some may say the dire warnings were an overreaction . I am just thankful a broken leg was the only serious injury ( that we know of ).
Eerily Empty Finish …
For many of us watching the race , the first sign that something had gone wrong on the day was when the traditional rush of desperate runners trying to get over the line before the firing of the 12-hour cut-off gun proved a complete anticlimax . The entire finish straight was empty a few minutes before the cut-off , as bemused officials and spectators milled around , seemingly not quite sure what had just happened . As we found out later , the intermediate cut-offs were to blame – more on that below – but in short , it meant the race ended with a perplexed whimper instead of a glorious celebration .
The Cut-off Fiasco …
The Comrades has had intermediate cut-off points along the route for many years , ostensibly to clear the roads of those runners who simply cannot make it to the finish within the 12-hour time limit . If not for cut-offs , I think some obstinate runners would keep going well into the night , just to say they made it all the way , but on those roads , it simply is not safe to do that . Unfortunately , the CMA appears to have made some errors in their calculations , and runners who likely would have comfortably made it home were denied the opportunity to continue . Furthermore , there were scenes caught on camera of what appears to be a cut-off gun being fired too early , followed by overlyphysical race officials blocking runners , and that eventually led to the empty finish line at Kingsmead just before the final gun .
Blocked by Buses …
A large number of ambulances and buses follow the tail end of the Comrades field , in order to pick up bailers and those who miss the cut-offs along the way , but these vehicles are not supposed to interfere with the race by driving amongst the runners . Some of the backmarkers of the race – those who were fortunate enough to survive the cut-off culling – had to literally zig-zag between buses that were passing them , stopping , then passing them again . Besides the time they lost , these runners then also had to contend with running in exhaust fumes , and I ’ m sure it was a most unpleasant experience , on top of being dangerous .
Joggers United …
When confronted after the race about some of the issues and obstacles that runners had experienced or witnessed , Race Director Rowyn James denied mistakes or wrongdoing , dismissed complaints , and then doubled down by disparagingly referring to slower athletes as “ joggers ” instead of runners . That sparked a backlash from the running community like nothing I have ever seen before – more on that below – and while I think some of the reaction was uncalled for , I do think the Race Director learnt the hard way that the runners are his clients , and clients need to be looked after , listened to , and kept happy as much as possible , not dismissed and disparaged .
The Ugly
The Comrades is an emotive topic for many South Africans , even non-runners , due to the history of the event , and it comes as no surprise that emotions ran high in all the discussions about the problems with the 2023 race . Nevertheless , at times it got out of hand …
Vigilante Spirit …
A few days before the race , the Comrades Marathon Association announced that 25 runners had been disqualified due to discrepancies in the qualifying info they had submitted with their entries . While the names of these athletes were withheld by the CMA , their clubs were instead ‘ named and shamed ’ in the media release . Many in the running community called for the runners to be publicly named and shamed instead , apparently without any thought to due process through proper channels , i . e . national , provincial and club structures , or the athletes ’ rights to be considered innocent until proven guilty .
A few days later , the names of the athlete were published online by blogger The Running Mann , who had worked out who they were through a process of elimination by working through the race database . This post was shared widely on social media , and the athletes in question were instantly found guilty in the court of public opinion , but then news broke that at least one of the alleged cheats had in fact qualified properly , and an administrative error saw the incorrect information submitted . This prompted The Running Mann to delete his post and apologise publicly , but in my opinion the damage was already done . I understand why many in the sport feel so strongly about exposing the long-standing cheating at the Comrades , but this felt to me like a form of vigilante justice .
Unsavoury Nazi Imagery …
In several online blogs and posts , Race Director Rowyn James was referred to as the Fuhrer , which is a German word that means ‘ leader ,’ and effectively meant he was likened to Nazi leader Adolf Hitler . It is possible that the writers were trying to say that Rowyn is a dictator , but the word is heavily linked to Hitler , as this was his self-given title . Meanwhile CMA officials , staff and race volunteers were referred to as the Gestapo , which is the name of the secret police of the Nazi regime in Germany in the 1930s and 1940s .
As any student of history knows , Hitler and his Nazi cronies were not only responsible for starting the Second World War , but also committed many inhuman atrocities during that period , including the Jewish Holocaust . For that reason , the names Fuhrer and Gestapo are universally considered evil . Now , no matter how strongly one feels about the decisions , actions and attitude of the Race Director or the CMA , it is doubtful anybody really thinks they deserve to be likened to Hitler and the Gestapo !
Furthermore , while numerous people posted on social media that the Race Director should be fired , a few took it even further and said he should be put up against a wall and shot . Again , while I can understand many feeling strongly about his actions and comments , I do not think any of that justifies comments that he be shot at dawn . Even if made tongue-in-cheek , I think these comments were over the top and unsavoury .
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