C o l u m n
ASKING THE QUESTION
Pacing Education
Although the cut-offs were amended this year , I think the full impact of this will take a couple of years to be seen . When runners have to get to a certain point by a set time , the tendency is to aim for a few minutes earlier , to be safe , with some reserve time just in case of an emergency . This is absolutely natural . Now , taking hills and distance into consideration , it is possible to calculate times and paces for runners of various abilities : A runner capable of a 12-hour finish should go through the Pinetown underpass around three hours , so any cut-off less than 3:05 is going to get that runner to race too hard over the first 19km . Similar calculations can be done for all the selected points along the route , and the objective should be to ensure that any runner who has paid their entry fee , met the qualification criteria , and made the start line , is then provided with every opportunity to complete the course without any additional hurdles .
The organisers from old understood this , and therefore offered a 6:30 limit for halfway when the race ’ s final cut-off was still 11 hours ! They eventually realised that this was too lenient , and reduced it to six hours ( for an 11-hour final cut-off ). The race has featured a 12-hour cut-off for many years , but this year the halfway cut-off was eventually changed to 6:20 . It should actually be 6:30 for 12 hours , given the current numbers and starting process .
Of course , halfway and the timing mats do not always coincide exactly , so this also needs to be taken into account , but look at the top runners and how they run – slower and easier in the beginning , and faster not in the second half , but the last quarter , or even the final sixth of the race . We are fixated by negative splits , but it ’ s not about halves in a hilly event , it ’ s about the last portion . In any marathon , the race is won between 35km and 42.2km – the last sixth – where the leader pulls away . And the winner is usually the runner who has conserved the most energy over the first 5 / 6th of the race , and has energy left to use in the final section . This applies as much to the backmarkers as it does to the frontrunners , but it takes even greater patience , discipline and effort for the back-of-pack runners , because they have longer time on the road and more people and distractions out there .
While there are many people doing statistical analysis of the finishers at Comrades , the real information lies in those who failed to make the finish , and their goals . For example , why did a strong gold medal contender not make the top 20 , and why did some runners who have posted a 4:40 marathon fail to finish at Comrades ? Invariably they did something wrong on the day … and going off too fast is usually the biggest cause , particularly on an Up Run . The simple truth is that if you are slow in the beginning – even too slow – you should have the energy to speed up , but when you have gone too fast , there is insufficient energy to maintain the pace !
Traditional Boundaries
Assuming Ann can build on the moves made and openness to change displayed in 2024 , the future for the CMA and Comrades race going forward look bright . The race has evolved over the last century , and as we head towards the 100th edition of the race in 2027 , it is necessary to keep the ethos and standards of the race , but acknowledge the required changes . For example , the route is currently on capacity , if not beyond capacity , but the expected demand for entries in 2027 means we need to grow the race still more in numbers . I believe this means there simply must be wave starts to accommodate that , or two days of racing !
Good planning is needed to ensure medical access to the route and runners
Thinking Outside the Box
In my opinion , there are a number of opportunities for the Comrades Marathon Association to consider in terms of introducing more innovative thinking and changes to the race .
• A return to year-round qualifying .
• A return to a five-hour qualification limit for a 12-hour finish .
• The use of wave ( batch ) starts to accommodate the growing interest in Comrades , particularly building to the 100th edition in 2027 .
• A complete re-assessment of all cut-offs , with a view to road-opening rather than stopping the last runner .
• The move to street finish – as done by virtually every large event worldwide – as it allows for the safe expansion of the race area to ensure flow of runners and spectators .
• A City Hall to City Hall race in 2027 – same as the original 1921 Comrades – and using the roads and surrounding facilities to celebrate the Comrades century , with club tents lining the final route sections .
All of these are possible , but all require a completely new approach by forward-looking leadership .
Traditionalists reject wave starts , mostly because of the various medal cut-offs , but these are not a tradition from the earliest days of the race – they only began when the race moved from everyone earning silver medals , to the introduction of a gold medal . There are currently no wave starts at Comrades , but if we want over 20,000 runners on that route , and ensure best possible medical safety and access , then we need to start thinking about wave starts . This can be done while maintaining the same ethos and standards of the original 1921 race , but it requires leadership who are willing to question , challenge and bring innovation to the past process . So , let ’ s hope Ann is given the chance to continue on her journey at Comrades . What is clear is that it can ’ t be done by simply pulling out the previous race ’ s plans and repeating the same process , while expecting a different outcome !
The 2024 Comrades was full of innovations , boding well for the future of the race
Image : Courtesy Comrades Marathon
About the Author
Norrie represented Scotland and Great Britain in numerous ultra-distance events , then represented South Africa in triathlon . He is a World Athleticsaccredited coach and course measurer , and travels all over the world to work on events , including the Olympics . He has been appointed by World Athletics as Technical Delegate to a number of the world ’ s leading Label events in Africa , Asia and the Middle East . He has authored two books on running , and counts 20 Comrades medals amongst his more than 150 ultra-marathon medals , as well as multiple wins at distances from 100km to 1000km . You can read more from him at www . coachnorrie . co . za .
38 ISSUE 169 | www . modernathlete . co . za