By Siboniso Ntuli
The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has decided to reopen entries for the 2010 Comrades Marathon due to an overwhelming number of requests from athletes.
The association has been inundated with requests from runners to reopen entries, after it closed earlier this month. The 20 000 spaces available for the 2010 event had been snapped up in record time.
Only an additional 2000 entries have been made available. Entries will open on Saturday morning at 9am at Mr Price clothing, sport and home stores countrywide.
The entries will work on a first-come, first-served basis and close as soon as 2000 entries have been received. No fax, postal or on-line entries will be accepted and they will also not be taken at Comrades House in Pietermaritzburg.
The association appealed to runners to ensure they are at Mr Price stores early on Saturday.
The CMA board decided to reopen entries after careful consideration and the weighing of appeals from hundreds of runners and interest groups, said the CMA in a statement.
It warned that this was the final entry intake and no further opportunities would be created after this period.
CMA Chairman Dave Dixon said it had not been an easy decision for the association as it did not want to send mixed messages to runners or compromise the decision making process.
"However, we do have an obligation to all the Comrades athletes and to our stakeholders to ensure that the 85th Anniversary race is a true celebration, especially with the fantastic response to the early entry initiative," said Dixon.
CMA Chief Executive Office Gary Boshoff said they had limited the number of entries to avoid congestion on the route and so that all could have an enjoyable and safe race.
The Comrades Marathon will take place on 30 May 2010.
The host cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, as well as the various Disaster Management structures within the local and provincial government, have been alerted to the magnitude of the 2010 Comrades Marathon.
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