After completion of the official measurement of the Comrades Marathon race route by an International Amateur Athletics Federation (IAAF) and Association of International Marathons (AIMS) accredited Course Measurer, the official distance of the 2010 Comrades Marathon was confirmed as 89.28km. This is 110m longer than the 2009 distance of 89.17km. The change in distance is as a result of a decision by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) to change the exit route from Pietermaritzburg. The change was effected to facilitate an easier and faster flow for the 23 000 athletes expected on 30 May 2010.
“One of the key objectives with the route change was to ensure a quick and safe exit for the runners from Pietermaritzburg as it is still pitch dark at 05H30 in the morning when the race gets underway. In addition to this consideration we also wanted to keep the race distance as close as possible to that of the 2009 race, which was also a Down Run”, said Gary Boshoff, General Manager.
The Comrades Marathon is staged under the auspices of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA), a Provincial affiliate of Athletics South Africa (ASA).
TOTAL CONFIRMED ENTRIES: 7 MAY 2010
On Friday 7 May at 12H00 19 300 of the 23 500 athletes who entered for the 2010 Comrades Marathon have registered their qualifying details with the CMA. This is 83% of the entered field! With approximately 4300 entry details still to be confirmed, the CMA is confident that final confirmed race entries will grow to well over 20 000 over the next few weeks.
The CMA is delighted with the overwhelming response from aspiring and devoted Comrades Marathon athletes. The confirmed entries of 19 300 is already the second biggest field assembled under the Comrades banner in the 85 year history of the event! This bodes well for the CMA’s attempt to be included in the Guinness Book of Records as the Ultra-Marathon (80km and longer) with highest number of finishers.
What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the fact that 26% (approximately 5000) of these are Novices (first time Comrades athletes) – a development that augurs well for the future growth and sustainability of this, the world’s biggest Ultra-Marathon.
With 23 days to go to race day the CMA appeals to those remaining athletes who have entered and qualified (on or before 26 April 2010) for this year’s race, to submit their qualifying details to the Comrades Marathon office urgently so that their entries can be confirmed on the 2010 race database.
“This achievement is a huge vote of confidence in Athletics and Road Running in particular. It is fantastic to see the commitment from both local and international athletes to South African sport in general, but more importantly, to the Ultimate Human Race, South Africa’s premier road race”, said Johan Van Staden, Race Director.
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