South Korea and Russia collaborate to build first Egyptian nuclear reactor
Navi Pillay does a disservice to South Africa
The Comrades is back!
The Comrades Marathon is being run today after being cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to Covid-19.
‘It’s full-steam ahead. The organising committee has been planning this race for the past year. And it’s good that Covid-19 has finally allowed us to host the 95th Comrades Marathon after the cancellation of the last two editions,’ the event’s marketing and communications manager, Delaine Cool, told Daily Maverick.
The race was first run in 1921, making it the oldest ultramarathon in the world. The past events were the first that had not taken place since the end of World War 2.
During the last race in 2019, the ‘up run’ (Durban to Pietermaritzburg) was won by South Africa’s Edward Mothibi and Gerda Steyn, men’s and women’s titles respectively.
Both will be looking to retain their titles, aiming at the ‘down run’ records.
‘Everyone is highly optimistic and enthusiastic about this Sunday. Most notably, the runners. But also, the organising committee, all of our supporters and the country at large,’ said Cool.
‘We’ve also got 1,5oo international runners descending on South Africa, from 70 countries around the world… The top international contingent for the race this year is the UK, Zimbabwe, India, Brazil, Germany and the US. It’s going to be one fantastic day of road running.’
More than 14,000 participants were expected at the start at 5.30am. Cool said that with the threat of Covid-19 subsiding, there was no mandate for runners to be vaccinated.
The man and woman who finish in first place will each receive R260,000; those who finish second will get R130,000 each and a third-place finish will earn R90,000.
