by NORRIE WILLIAMSON
ASKING THE QUESTION
Asking the Question
by NORRIE WILLIAMSON
The stats tell us that the finishing rate of Comrades 2024 returned to the figures that we used to see in the 1980 ’ s , with over 91 % of starters making it home before the 12-hour cut-off . That is great news , and while we have to acknowledge that the course was the shortest ever in the history of the race and the weather gods were kind on the day , I would contend that we now sit with the potential of even greater things to come .
The cut-off times for Comrades 2024 were something of an evolution , being finalised only a very short time before the race , which meant that many runners had little time to appreciate how it could impact their racing approach , but if the Comrades Marathon Association ( CMA ) Board can maintain this runner-first approach , and see the bigger picture , there is every reason to believe the race can regain much of the greatness that was tarnished , if not lost , since 2010 .
Unfortunately , for almost a decade and a half , the event ’ s leadership has gradually eroded many of the key practical markers of the Comrades , and in doing so , the runner experience has been compromised , particularly at the slower end . To fully appreciate the about turn experienced in 2024 , one has to see how the trip down the slippery slope occurred , and how it becomes identified not only in cut-offs , but also in a lack of awareness of people and crowd flow .
The Winds of Change
As hard as change has been over the past decade , it was the furore of 2023 that initiated recognition that things couldn ’ t continue on the same path . It takes more than one person to cause a tragedy , so while the previous Race Director may not have handled the 2023 race in the manner that many expected , we need to acknowledge that he was not the sole decision-maker when ignoring safety
Is Comrades Moving in the Right Direction ?
I really enjoyed the 2024 Comrades Marathon , because it showed that the people working behind the scenes finally appear to be embracing feedback , advice , innovation , and change .
warnings , cut-off concerns , nor deciding upon the return to Kingsmead as a finish venue . All of that would have needed Board approval , and the Race Director would not have been alone in this decision-making process , which is important when considering how hard the changes of 2024 will have been .
When Ann Ashworth was appointed As Race Manager in October 2023 , it is not surprising that it was a short-term solution , as there was insufficient time to go through a full application , selection and interview process before the 2024 race . Equally , there was no-one ( and there remains no-one ) with the necessary technical , running and eventing experience that could be promoted internally for the position . This may sound harsh , but the fact is that had there been such a person in the organisation , then their skills , talents and strength of presence would have prevented the errors , omissions and failures of the event since 2016 in particular . That person clearly does not exist in the current structure , but the incumbent , Ann Ashworth , has in a mere seven months put forward not only cases to counter some of the previous errors by forcing a rethink , but also introduced new concepts and international ideas .
As with every race , 2024 saw some problems , but when over the past 15 years have we seen Comrades make changes that effectively required them to admit they had been incorrect in their initial assessment ? The answer , in my opinion , is never ! That in itself was the source of so many previous challenges , and
Ann Ashworth has been a revelation as Race Manager at Comrades
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ISSUE 169 | www . modernathlete . co Comrades . za cut-offs were revised three times this year , thanks to the CMA listening to feedback