Leonid Shvetsov: holder of the Comrades Marathon records for both the 'up' and 'down' runs

ALMOST 13 000 Comrades Marathon runners will pound the 89.17 kilometres of tarmac between Pietermaritzburg and Durban on Sunday, 24 May in the 84th edition of the world famous ultra-marathon.

It starts at the largest red-brick building in the southern hemisphere, the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg, and ends at Sahara Stadium Kingsmead in Durban.

Usually the organisers take three weeks to build the finishing area, but this time around they're doing it in only three days because Durban has hosted 16 Indian Premier League matches at the ground.

A live webcam on the Comrades Marathon website began showing the construction of the finish from the evening of 20 May. On the day of the race, streaming from various vantage points along the route will also be provided, including the finish.

Record holder

Russia's Leonid Shvetsov, who holds both the "up" and "down" run records, will be defending the title that he has won for the last two years. He'll be taking aim at his mark of five hours, 20 minutes and 49 seconds.

Oleg Kharitonov, the 2006 champion, will also be part of what has annually become a very strong challenge from Russia.

South Africa's Fusi Nhlapo, who was an impressive winner in 2003 on a "down" run, will be aiming for a second title, while Jaroslaw Janicki, the winner a decade ago in 1999, will also be in the field.

A dark horse to watch out for is Zimbabwean Marco Mambo. As a three-time winner of the 56-kilometre long Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, Mambo has shown the potential to win a race of the nature of the Comrades Marathon.

Nurgalieva twins

The Nurgalieva twins, Elena and Oleysa, are undoubtedly the ones to watch in the women's race. Over the Easter weekend they comfortably won the Two Oceans Marathon, crossing the line together, although the race officials later awarded the victory to Elena.

She is a four-time Comrades' champion, with previous victories in 2003, 2004, 2006, and last year, in 2008. Oleysa won the title in 2007 and was runner-up in 2003, 2005, and 2008.

Another former winner in the race will be Tatyana Zhirkova, the 2005 champion, while Marina Bychkova, runner-up in 2003 and 2006, and third in 1999, 2001 and 2002, will also be among the challengers.

The women's "down" run record has stood since 1989, when Frith van der Merwe finished an astonishing 15th overall in a time of 5:54:43.

Prize money

Prize money for men and women is equal, with the winners set to pocket R220 000 each. The runners-up receive R110 000, and the third place finishers win R82 500.

A total of 1 737 runners will display green numbers for having completed at least 10 Comrades, while another 532 will be aiming to join them. Dave Rogers will be running the race for a record 44th time.

While the top challengers attract attention at the front of the field, it is the entire body of entries that makes the Comrades Marathon a special race. That is why a commonly heard cliché is "the spirit of the Comrades". While the saying has become common, the spirit of the race is not, and that is why it continues to draw big fields and strong support along the route.

The camaraderie among the competitors is what draws runners back year after year as ordinary athletes take on an extraordinary challenge.

For locals not running the race, it is an opportunity for a family outing and a picnic, and an opportunity to be part of the event by yelling support or manning a refreshment table, or providing some other sort of assistance.

Refreshments

The list of refreshments provided on the day is astounding. It includes: 1.1-million water sachets, 448 pockets of oranges, 5.4 tons of bananas, 360 000 bottles of Powerade, 36 000 energy sachets, one ton of chocolates, 400 kilograms of biscuits, two tons of baby potatoes, 40 cases of 1.25-litre Coke at 30 tables, and 50 cases of Coke and Cream Soda at 18 tables.

The Comrades Marathon also benefits charities and in 2009 there are four official charities of the event: the Community Chests of Durban and Pietermaritzburg; the Sports Trust; Starfish, which benefits Aids orphans in South Africa, and the Wildlands Conservation Trust.

The Comrades' fund-raising efforts are embraced in an initiative known as "Amabeadibeadi" wherein runners, supporters, spectators, volunteers and members of the general public are encouraged to support the charity initiative.

Donating to charity

Those who donate to charity stand a chance of winning a Chevrolet Captiva. Runners and viewers can enter the Chevrolet Amabeadibeadi Car Competition by sending a text message and the word CAPTIVA to 38275.

The text messages are charged at R10. The draw for the car will take place on race day. Winners will be announced at the Comrades Marathon finish.

SABC Sport, the official radio and television broadcaster, will devote 12-and-a-half hours of live coverage to the Comrades Marathon on race day, as well as an extensive build-up to the race.

SABC 2 will carry the live television coverage, while live radio coverage will take place on Radio 2000, Lotus and Ukhozi. The race will be featured extensively on all 11 official language stations.

Source: www.southafrica.info