Comrades Marathon 2010 - The Top 20

Year	Pos	Race No	First Name	Last Name	Gun Time	Category	Cat Pos	Gender	Gen Pos	Medal	Status	Medals	Video
2010	1	55925	Stephen	Muzhingi	05:29:01	Ages 30 - 39	1	Male	1		Finished	6
2010	2	45047	Ludwick	Mamabolo	05:35:29	Ages 30 - 39	2	Male	2		Finished	1
2010	3	13018	Sergio	Motsoeneng	05:35:58	Ages 30 - 39	3	Male	3		Finished	3
2010	4	31020	Bongmusa	Mthembu	05:37:49	Ages 20 - 29	1	Male	4		Finished	5
2010	5	17522	Fanie	Matshipa	05:39:53	Ages 30 - 39	4	Male	5		Finished	4
2010	6	14084	Fusi	Nhlapo	05:40:26	Ages 30 - 39	5	Male	6		Finished	9
2010	7	46216	Claude	Moshiywa	05:43:04	Ages 30 - 39	6	Male	7		Finished	10
2010	8	36458	Petros	Sosibo	05:45:58	Ages 40 - 49	1	Male	8		Finished	6
2010	9	32757	Peter	Molapo	05:46:19	Ages 30 - 39	7	Male	9		Finished	5
2010	10	49863	Leboka	Noto	05:48:45	Ages 30 - 39	8	Male	10		Finished	6
2010	11	39779	Peter	Muthubi	05:49:10	Ages 20 - 29	2	Male	11		Finished	4
2010	12	43769	Prodigal	Khumalo	05:50:54	Ages 20 - 29	3	Male	12		Finished	2
2010	13	31734	Clement	Nkosi	05:51:07	Ages 20 - 29	4	Male	13		Finished	4
2010	14	39358	Vladimir	Kotov	05:51:38	Ages 50 - 59	1	Male	14		Finished	11
2010	15	48084	Sipho	Dlamini	05:52:01	Ages 30 - 39	9	Male	15		Finished	7
2010	16	18289	Gift	Kelehe	05:53:38	Ages 20 - 29	5	Male	16		Finished	4
2010	17	50414	Sandile	Makhaye	05:54:33	Ages 30 - 39	10	Male	17		Finished	6
2010	18	59588	Mkhonzeni	Basi	05:55:19	Ages 30 - 39	11	Male	18		Finished	1
2010	19	46172	Eric	Sigxashe	05:55:35	Ages 30 - 39	12	Male	19		Finished	2
2010	20	13772	Jabulani	Mabaso	05:56:51	Ages 30 - 39	13	Male	20		Finished	11

Muzhingi wins the Comrades

Cheered on by a few hundred spectators at the Kingsmead Sahara Stadium in Durban, the 33-year-old crossed the finish line to victory.

Last year Muzhingi made history when he became the first Zimbabwean to win the ultra marathon at the second fastest time of 5:23:27.

He overtook Claude Moshiywa and kept his four minute lead from about 20km from the finish line.

Supporters, delighted that an African had run away with victory, shouted "Go Africa".

The Durban based Zimbabwean, who spoke last year of investing and sending a portion of his prize money home to his family, has bagged another R250000.

He was met at the finish line by his wife, child and KwaZulu-Natal Premier Zweli Mkhize.

The crowd is expected to swell by late afternoon when the bigger part of the 18000 competing runners make their way into the stadium.

Men's results

1. Stephen Muzhingi 5:29:00

2. Ludwick Mamabolo 5:35:28

3. Sergio Motsoeneng 5:35:57

4. Bongmusa Mthembu 5:37:48

5. Fanie Matshipa 5:39:52

6. Fusi Nhlapo 5:40:25

7. Claude Moshiywa 5:43:03

8. Petros Sosibo 5:45:57

9. Peter Molapo 5:46:18

10. Leboka Noto 5:48:44

Muzhingi AGAIN!!!

By Augustine Hwata

THE 2010 Comrades Marathon is being highly regarded in South Africa as the nation prepares to host the Fifa World Cup next month and one man from Zimbabwe — Stephen Muzhingi — is determined to enter the history books as the ultra-marathon’s winner in the year of the first World Cup on African soil.

Muzhingi made history when he won the competition last year, becoming the first African, outside South Africa, to achieve the feat.

He clocked 5 hours 23 minutes 27 seconds, the second-best time ever after the 5 hours 20 minutes 41 seconds set by Russia’s Leonid Shvestov in 2007.

Record holder Shvestov has retired because of a painful knee but Charles Tjiane, the first South African home and third-placed athlete last year, is set to try to win for his country.

Russia’s Olesya Nurgaliera won the women’s race in 6:12:12 while her sister Elena was second on 6:12:24 as Tatyana Zhivakera made sure the Russians took the first three places.

Tomorrow morning, the 34-year-old Muzhingi will be the focus of attention as he braves the chilly morning to defend his ultra-human title.

But Muzhingi’s heart is bleeding in that he will try to defend the 89km race without having brought the big trophy to his homeland.

In the Comrades tradition, the trophy is flown and paraded to the country of the winner outside South Africa before it is returned to South Africa.

With Muzhingi being the first African winner outside the host country, he had dreamt of a grand parade with the silverware in the streets of Harare and probably at his home village at Chitsa in Masvingo.

In a recent interview, Muzhingi said he wanted President Mugabe or Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai or Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda to receive the trophy.

"For other athletes, who have won before, the trophy was flown and presented to a prominent person in their country. It will really be a great honour to have the trophy brought to Zimbabwe for a while and be paraded.

"I did not know who among the prominent leaders was willing to receive it on my behalf. I have tried to go through the Sports Commission and the mayor (of Harare) but nothing worked out," said Muzhingi then.

Despite the opportunity to parade the trophy having slipped away from him, Muzhingi is determined to win again this year.

"I want to defend the title and set a new record," he said.

Muzhingi’s progress has been gradual after finishing third in 2008 in 5:39:40.

He said he needs to work in a team with other Zimbabweans and he hopes two or three of his compatriots will be his "runners."

Runners in long distance race are athletes who set a cracking pace just from the start and continue until they retire.

Their intention is to tire whoever tries to catch up with them and this allows the runners’ man to maintain his energy and eventually overtake any gullible athletes who had burnt themselves.

After the win, the victorious athlete will give a percentage of the purse to his "teammates."

"I need to work as a team. Marko helped me the last time when he set the pace and then burnt out," Muzhingi said.

Muzhingi won the uphill race in 5 hours 24 minutes and the race this year will be down hill starting from City Hall at 5:30am in Pietmaritzburg and finish at Sahara Stadium in Durban tomorrow.

The Zimbabwean running machine is not going to find it easy as 23 655 athletes are also seeking to dethrone him.

There are 1 084 foreign runners drawn from 76 countries for the world’s largest ultra-marathon race.

Muzhingi said it pained him last year when he broke the ribbon and found no-one from home to help him in the celebrations.

He was the dark horse and had finished ahead of the South Africans and then defending champion Leonid Shvestov from Russia.

"When I won, there were just a few acknowledgements from people on the finish and nothing else. What could I do? I was a winner in a foreign land. I felt lonely.

"The trophy weighs about 20kg coated with gold and no one came to help me lift it at the podium.

"I was all alone but some men from Zimbabwe then rushed to a nearby church and removed a Zimbabwean flag which they draped around me," he said.

Weeks later, Muzhingi went for the Kariba half-marathon where he was introduced to legendary Bruce Fordyce, a nine-time winner of the race.

The two later hooked up and went on a boat cruise in Kariba. It was the first time that Muzhingi has been on a boat, let alone a speedboat.

For winning the Comrades Marathon last year, Muzhingi got contracts for adverts in South Africa for a wide range of goods and services.

"I can go out to a restaurant and eat free meals.

"If they realise that I am Muzhingi, I do not pay but they ask me to sign on the walls that I ate at the place.

"The guys will be happy that Muzhingi, the Comrades Marathon, winner ate at their place," he said.

He has also received a deal from sportswear Asics worth R200 000 for two years and R70 00 from Nike.

Muzhingi said he also received R1.5 million for winning last year’s race but he believes only R220 000 was deposited into his account and could not access the rest.

It’s a pity! But Muzhingi managed to buy a house in Chitungwiza with part of his winning purse.

"I first bought a fridge and when I took it home, the landlord gave me notice to vacate.

"I then bought a house," he said.

Muzhingi grew up in the rural areas of Chitsa and said he used to run to school every day.

"I build my resilience through running to school and one of my teachers encouraged me to enter (road) races," he said.

Muzhingi is not just a runner and he has a profession.

"I am a barber by profession. I run a barber shop at Chikurubi camp. There is big business there because police recruits at Support Unit keep shaved heads."

Tension builds

Times Live reports

The streets of Durban are buzzing with excitement as runners gather for the 85th Comrades Marathon which gets underway at 5.30am on Sunday from the Pietermaritzburg City Hall.

With the recent retirement of Russian Leonid Shvetsov, back-to-back winner in 2007 and 2008 and record holder of both the Up and Down runs, the winner could come from any of the emotionally-charged camps touting their runners for Sunday's prestigious honours.

Hot favourite, American Josh Cox, running in Nedbank colours, is confident he can win the race. A media dream, with his fresh-faced, good looks and benevolent outlook, the charismatic 34 year-old Comrades novice has all the credentials. He lives and trains at altitude and has an analytical mind but lack of first-hand experience could be his downfall as this race is full of its own nuances.

"Running a race in Africa is not the same as running a race in the US. With thousands of people lining the streets and so many runners of such a high standard competing, it makes Comrades a hard race to win first time out," said race commentator Norrie Williamson, who has twenty Comrades under his belt as a runner.

Cox admitted it would be the most challenging race he's ever run but is looking forward to it. The last novice to win Comrades was Russian Dmitri Grishine in 1996.

"You have to come in to the race humble or Comrades will humble you. Patience is a virtue in this race," he said, sounding wise beyond his experience.

"I've trained around the course record but a lot of factors come in to play - like the weather and tactics - you need to run smart."

"Records are nice, but records are borrowed. Titles are forever. The title is what I'm after. I've travelled a long way to be here, so it would be silly not to win, right?"

Defending champion Stephen Muzhingi (Formula 1 Bluff Meats) was cagey about his tactics and said his coach had not given him his instructions yet. He said he was not going for the record as his ambition is to better his previous best each time he takes to the road. He holds the record for the second fastest Comrades in history after finishing in 5h23 last year, with no one was more surprised than he.

"I don't know myself how I did it and I was still confused after the race," quipped the Zimbabwean.

"My coach knew the secret but, even up to now, he still hasn't told me what it was."

Close to 19 000 runners are expected to take the field and South African hopes lie with Lucas Nonyana (Nedbank), Samuel Bolo (Bonitas), Bethuel Netshifhefhe (Bonitas), Fusi Nhlapo (Mr Price), Sipho Ngomane (Mr Price) and Andrew Kelehe (Toyota) among a host of experienced campaigners.

The women's race has been dominated by the Russian twins, Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva, for the last seven years, with the exception of 2003 when compatriot Tatyana Zhirkova finished ahead of them.

But, Frith van der Merwe still holds the women's record (5:54:43) set in 1989, and all eyes will be on Adinda Kruger (Nedbank) to finish on the podium. She was beaten by the twins at Two Oceans but is determined not to be influenced by them on the day.

"I am going to run my own race," said the 33 year-old physiotherapist from Pretoria.

"The time is very important and I will try and better my 6:38. I'll take whatever position comes with my time."

Riana van Niekerk (Mr Price), Farwa Mentoor (Bonitas), Belinda Waghorn (Bonitas) and Lesley Twain (Nedbank) are the other South Africans who cannot be dismissed.

The men's race, at least, is anyone's bet and should produce one of the most interesting contests for many years.

Bring it on - Durban is waiting...

Mr.Price Team is getting ready!

Preparations

The Finish Venue Team has begun construction of the Finish Venue that once again promises to be of world class standard. The 89.28km route has had its final inspection and a special word of thanks must be extended to Provincial Transport Department and the eThekwini and Msunduzi Municipalities for their excellent work in ensuring that the route is 100% ready.

View the Comrades Marathon live online!

Running fans in South Africa and across the world will again be able to follow the Comrades Marathon race live online at www.comrades.com.

Apart from watching the live broadcast, courtesy of Mr Price, users will be able to see live Twitter feeds at #comradesm2010 and track runners with the "Track Your Runner" application, developed by Mr Price using the Microsoft Silverlight framework.

Silverlight is a free, cross-browser, cross-platform rich media plug-in and has become the platform of choice for delivering live and on demand streaming video of sporting events, including the 2008 Beijing Olympics on NBCOlympics.com, where 52.1 million people logged on to watch 9.9 million hours of video.

People wishing to watch the Comrades coverage online or use the "Track Your Runner" application will need to install the free Silverlight plug-in, which is a 5.6MB download available on www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight

Fast facts:

Watch the race on SABC 2 or watch online at www.comrades.com on Sunday, 30th May 2010
Online race feed is from 5:10am-6pm (GMT+2)
Follow us on Twitter with #comradesm2010 at http://twitter.com/comradesm2010
Install the plugin at www.microsoft.com/getsilverlight

All set for 2010 Comrades

Race organisers have said they were 100% ready for the 85th running of the Comrades Marathon on Sunday.

Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) chairman Dave Dixon said it may not be the biggest Comrades (there were 24 500 athletes in 2000) "but it will be the best".

The 'down' run, which begins outside Pietermaritzburg's Town Hall at 5.30am, will see over 18 200 athletes at the start.

Although 23 522 entered the race, they did not all meet the required qualifying standard by the cut off date.

"This is an ideal number," said new race director Johan van Staaden.

"We can cope and give them all our full attention. The roads are wide enough for them and we are 100% ready to go.

"The average age of male entrants is 40 and females 42, which means they are a little bit older and more experienced than in previous years, and it bodes well for them to enjoy the race."

There will be 800 marshals on the road to guide the runners from start to finish. The organisers have added an extra 110m onto the route this year, changing the exit from Pietermaritzburg to facilitate an easier and faster flow of runners. An additional 100 community marshals will be on hand to ensure participants follow the correct exit route.

The weather will play a major role in the water consumption but the organisers are prepared, with 1.9-million sachets available.

The 47 water tables along the route will also provide Energade, Coca-Cola and mahewu (a traditional drink made from fermented mealie meal).

A further 11 refreshment stations will provide bananas, cooked potatoes, chocolates, jelly babies, oranges and biscuits. These stations will be staffed by 4, 000 volunteers, many of whom have been providing this service for more than a decade.

The expected temperature for Sunday is 22 degrees celsius, which is considered ideal for the 89.28km ultra-marathon.

Comrades in pictures: Josh Cox

       

All pictures taken from Josh Cox Facebook Fansite!

A look at the technical rules of Comrades

1. You must run the complete distance of 89,28km
2. You must wear BOTH Race numbers issued to you, front and back of your upper body garment.
3. Wear only ONE championchip in order to validate your finishing time.
4. Pacing is NOT allowed, i.e. although men and women are running together they are running different races. Therefore a man running with Women for a certain distance is regarded as Pacing and is NOT allowed.
5. Running with radios, videos, mobile phones, radio transmitters or any similar devices is NOT allowed.
6. No tattoo marks are allowed.
7. You can NOT wear any branded head gear except the Nedbank Comrades sponsored cap issued to you in your Goodie Bag.
8. You may NOT be carried by anyone on the Route including at the Finish.
9. Any contravention to these rules MUST be reported to the Race Referees.
10. No children are allowed on the route including in the finish area.

Contravention of any of these Rules is a Disqualifiable Offence.



Not at Comrades: dragging your beloved ones across the finish line.

Look out for No. 1052 — 56 years old and running his 30th Comrades in 35 years

THE WITNESS reports
Amiel van den Berg will be running his 30th Comrades Marathon at the age of 56.
He ran his first race in 1975 and has completed 29 runs, finishing each and every one of them.
Van den Berg said his best finishing time of six hours and 36 minutes was achieved in 1980.
His second attempt earned him the honour of being the first Rand Athletic runner home in a time of six hours and 46 minutes in 1976.
Having run in the colours of Rand Athletic Club, Pretoria Marathon Club and Namakwa Joggers, Van den Berg has been rewarded with eight silver medals for his efforts — four of them for sub-seven hour runs.
He said the highlights over his years of competing in the “ultimate human race” were running the race with his father and helping Ralie Smit (PMC) obtain a silver medal for her run in 1989.
Keep a look-out for runner number 1052 during this 85th edition of the Comrades Marathon, and show him your support during his 30th race.

Rob Forbes Swim-Bike-Runs his way from England to South Africa

The Sun reports

Superfit England fan Rob Forbes has arrived in South Africa for the World Cup after CYCLING and SWIMMING all the way from home.
Rob, 27, set off from Cirencester, Glos, on his epic eight month, 11,800-mile journey last October.

He PEDALLED through Europe to Gibraltar then SWAM the 16 miles across to Africa.

Since then he's clocked up ten hours in the saddle each day to get to South Africa - where he plans to RUN 90KM in a gruelling local marathon.

Determined Rob - a Spurs fan - set himself the exhausting goal of completing the world's longest triathlon to raise money for charity.

But on the way a competition was launched to find 'Britain's biggest football fan' - and he's now made the final four for that.

And most importantly he is on schedule to see England's opener against the USA on June 12.

Rob, a freelance ecologist, said: "As a hugely patriotic England fan and triathlete I was left with no choice but to swim, cycle and run my way to the World Cup.

"I have had plenty of hurdles to overcome before I can revel in the glory of a successful England campaign, but I've no doubt I will be there to cheer our boys on.

"I've got tickets for all of England's group matches and hope to follow their progress all the way to the final.

"The last thing I want to do is miss the kick-off after all the effort to get there."

Rob came up with the idea of getting to the World Cup by cycling, swimming and running to raise money for the Re-Cycle charity which collects second hand bicycles and ships them to Africa.

For most Africans, without public transport or cars, they become their only means of getting around.

Rob, who set himself a £19,000 fund-raising goal, has cycled through 21 countries and two continents and is currently in Pietermaritzburg in South Africa.

He is enjoying ten rest days before he takes part in the gruelling 89km Comrades Marathon in Durban on May 30.

From there he will cycle the final 700km leg of his trek to Rustenburg in time for England's first game.

Rob, whose girlfriend Helen Hazzledine cycled with him for several weeks through Africa, will be joined on the final leg by two friends.

He said: "Swimming across the strait for six hours was a huge physical and mental test. But I saw whales and dolphins.

"Cycling across Africa I was approaching village chiefs to sleep somewhere secure and it was a voyage of discovery.

"You get desperately hungry cycling for up to 10 hours a day, and I ate caterpillars, porcupine, camel and crocodile from street sellers."

Other contestants in the Continental tyres competition include pregnant Spurs fan, Carrie Hobbs, who delayed a caesarean section for 10 days because it clashed with a game.

Aston Villa supporter Jonathan Fear went to a match against his doctor's orders after being diagnosed with a rare brain condition, fearing he might not live to see another.

And Manchester City fan Chris Sagar called off his wedding day which had been two years in planning because it clashed with a big game at Wembley.

A call from J'burg: Hendrick Ramaala on the line

Hendrick, we were wondering what happened at Lake Biwa [Ramaala finished only eleventh in 2:15:29].
It was devastating. Cold rain all day. It was something like seven, eight Celcius. I just don’t like cold weather. And you know what? It was perfectly sunny the day before and the day after the race. But during the race, we had to run through big puddles. It rained that hard.

When did you fall off pace?
I went comfortably through half at 64:07 but soon thereafter I was dealing with calf cramps. It wasn’t meant to be for me. But I definitely still want to use the shape for something better than that.

So what’s the plan?
I tried to get into Boston or London but it was already too late. So I’m running Rock ‘n’ Roll in San Diego on June 6 before I will have a break.

Are Commonwealth Games on your schedule also?
No. That’s a race for young and upcoming athletes who want to gain international experience. Instead, I will run a fall marathon.

Are we gonna see you in NYC again?
You know my favourite! [laughs] We’ll see how it works out.

Have you ever run Fukuoka?
No. Lake Biwa was my first open marathon in Japan. Apart from that I only ran Worlds there where it was very hot and humid. So far, Japan was not a good place for me. [laughs] But NYC and London, those are and always will be my favourate races. I can run these races with closed eyes after what, seven?, eight? times there. So maybe for me it’s best I go somewhere I know.

I’m glad we get a chance to chat because we’re having the Mzungo Comrades special right now. You have not run it yet but you are the authority in South Africa when it comes to distance running. What’s the vibe these days about the race?
In training, everybody talks Comrades right now. Everybody. And if you run or jog down the streets, people wish you good luck for Comrades. Everybody assumes whoever runs will be part of Comrades.

Are you gonna watch the race?
I always watch it. It’s the biggest race in the country. A month from the race, everything is geared towards it. Comrades is the only race I never miss. It’s tradition here.

How would you explain a foreigner the fascination of Comrades?
Very difficult. How do you explain that some ten thousand runners, who are not even necessarily fit or in best shape, run 89km? You have to come and experience it yourself.

Who’s your favorite this year?
Muzhingi – not Mzungo! [laughs] – is the main man. He won last year very convincingly. He won Two Oceans. If he’s healthy, I don’t see how anyone else would win.

How do you gauge Josh Cox’s chances?
He has the speed but I hope he’s done the hills, downhills in particular. I drove the course by car one year and I don’t remember one flat section. I wish him well. It’s certainly good to get strong foreigners. People are used to Russians here but Americans, English, Brazilians, they all bring more foreign media to the race. If an American wins, it’s bigger news than a Russian win. And it’s five hours live on main TV in South Africa.

When do we see you giving it a shot?
For now everything is geared towards the London Olympics. I’m looking to break 2:10 on a fast course in spring next year. Qualification only starts August 2011 so I will need a good fall marathon also. After London, we’ll see.

So 2013?
Yes, maybe. I’m not in a rush. I’ve seen the training. I am not afraid of running longer. It’s normal for us in South Africa. You just run slower. It’s all about getting used to run 36min, 35min 10k pace. I will enjoy that.

Would be running first Two Oceans and then Comrades an option?
No. Comrades is the big one. Get people interested, run the real race and get over with it.

All eyes are on South Africa in June when the World Cup begins.
I hope we make the second round. It would keep the interest going. Having the World Cup is great for the country. The infrastructure improved significantly, roads are much better as is public transportation. It’s our chance to build the legacy for future generations.

Thanks Hendrick, always good talking to you. Good luck for San Diego!

Comrades Competition: name the winner - get the shirt!

Competition come and get some!

As a dedicated Mzungo reader you'll have a fair idea who is in the mix for this year's crown at the Comrades Marathon. The competition will be tough as every year and the 89k from Pietermaritzburg to Durban will eventually see the 85th hero of the classic race.

Who has the guts, the talent, the tactic and the will to last the pain? You name the winner of the men’s race and we will crown you with the original mzungo.org logo T-Shirt.

All you have to do is answer the following question and send an email to askmzungo@gmail.com with the subject: Comrades Competition - WINNER 2010

                    Who is going to win the men’s division at the Comrades Marathon 2010?

NOTE: We give away 2 t-shirts in sizes S, M or L to the first 2 readers who have answered the question correctly. The winners choose the size and will be named on mzungo.org on Tuesday 01.06.2010! Prediction - Emails will be accepted for the competition until Sunday, 30.05.2010, 2am CET. Get in there!

American celebs on the startline

Marathon Examiner, Kimberly Bogin

Dr. Andy Baldwin, star of ABC's hit show "The Bachelor," heads to South Africa on Monday in preparation to run the Comrades Marathon on Sunday, May 30, 2010.
Baldwin will join Josh Cox, who is the American record holder in the 50k, and running guru Bart Yasso of Runner's World.
All three men are racing as a part of Team World Vision. Their goal is to get people to sponsor a child in Africa or another impoverished country. The money goes towards supplying kids with food, clean water, health care and schooling.

According to an email Baldwin sent on Sunday, "I leave tomorrow for South Africa. We're all very excited. I talked with Bart today and he's on his way. Josh is already over there. I have gotten 100 children sponsored, and as a total we've gotten 750 sponsored. We have a goal of 1500 so we need more."
Baldwin personally sponsors a five-year-old African boy named Matt-Andy who is coming to watch him compete next Sunday.
The Comrades Marathon is a 56-mile (89 kilometer) race between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban in South Africa. It is the world's oldest and largest ultra-marathon.
Every two years the race route alternates directions, offering a course with 2,300 feet of climbing on an "up year" and a 2,300 foot drop in elevation on a "down year." 2010 is a down year.

"I'm nervous but trust my training," Baldwin said. "I know I can mentally will my way through it." Of course Baldwin has spent months preparing for the race and he's also completed eight Ironman Triathlons in the past, so this isn't his first test of extreme endurance.
Baldwin is hoping to finish Comrades in 9 hours, which means he'll have to average a little over nine and a half minute miles over the course of the race.

Cox, on the other hand, is going for the win. He'll most likely have to finish in just over five and a half hours, or average slightly under six minute miles.
There is still time to sponsor a child with Team World Vision and show your support as Baldwin, Cox and Yasso tackle the Comrades Marathon on May 30.

Man to watch: Lucas Nonyana

Ramatsiyi Moholoa for the Sowetan

Top South African ultra distance runner Lucas Nonyana is primed for success at the 2010 Comrades Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.
Nonyana made a name for himself in this popular event after finishing fifth last year. Prior to the race, Nonyana’s preparations were disrupted by injuries.
“I’m going into this marathon on Sunday in high spirits because I did not have injury problems ,” said Nonyana, who runs under the colours of Nedbank Athletics Club.

Nonyana has been in a class of his own in the past 12 months, including victories in the Long Tom, Karoo Ultra 80km and Om Die Dam marathons and IAU 50km World Trophy Final.
“Naturally, the plan is to win but it’s gonna be a tough one because there are many top runners from home and abroad,” Nonyana said.
Nonyana and Mncedisi Mkhize are the South Africans tipped to win in this event, which has been dominated by runners from the Eastern bloc.

Stephen Muzhingi, the defending champion from Zimbabwe, is also from Nonyana’s club, which is run by legends Nick Bester and Bruce Fordyce.
The same club will also parade American star Josh Cox, who has a sub- 2hrs:13min time in the standard marathon but is also the national champion of the 50km in his native country. Cox won the 80km trial ultra marathon last year.

After dominating the Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town over the Easter weekend, runners from Lesotho are expected to also do well. South Africans out to stop the Lesotho contingent include Charles Tjiane, who finished third last year, Brian Zondi and Fusi Nhlapo. Nhlapo is one of the former local Comrades champions who hope to win the title again. Others are Andrew Kelehe and Sipho Ngomane.

Comrades 2009 - TOP 10: The Shoes (5-1)

This is the last part of our Comrades shoe series. We show you what the top bunch was sporting on their way from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in 2009. 

Interesting to see what the elite field chooses in such a long race. Light trainers and even racers are the weapon that the fast guys choose for the sub 6 hour way to the coast. 

5th place Comrades Marathon 2009 - Lucas Nonyana (Nike Skylon 11)

4th place Comrades Marathon 2009 - Fusi Nhlapo (Nike LunarRacer 1)

(see also exclusive mzungo.org interview)

3rd place Comrades Marathon 2009 - Charles Tjiane (Reebok - Road Plus KFS)

2nd place Comrades Marathon 2009 - Leonid Shvetsov (Asics DS Trainer 13)

1st place Comrades Marathon 2009 - Stephen Muzhingi (New Balance - 750)