Today is Comrades Day
Today is Youth Day in South Africa.
It is also Comrades day – Comrades Marathon Day - the day on which thousands of athletes attempt to run the 90 or so kilometres between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
The Comrades Marathon was started in 1921 by Vic Clapham who wanted to preserve the comradeship he found in service during the First World War – thus the name.
There are, however, clouds gathering for the Comrades Marathon. The entries for the race are decreasing with this year drawing a field of 12000. This a far cry from a peak of over 20 000 some years ago. The average age of the field is also increasing – now 39 for men and 40 for women. This means that fewer younger novice runners are entering - an ominous portent.
The race organisers – the Comrades Marathon Association - own their own headquarters building, have full-time staff, have computer and other equipment and employ a CEO at R430 000 annually. Therefore maintaining the required income stream is becoming a vexing headache. To keep numbers (and income) up the organisers have increased the time limit in which to finish from 11 to 12 hours. They’ve also increased sponsorship fees for the five or so major backers.
Comrades was athletics in this province. Athletic clubs sprung up in every neighbourhood and everything running centred on The Marathon. Mainstream track and field athletics became almost extinct during the years of South Africa’s isolation, which lasted from the Rome Olympics to Barcelona in 1992. Road running was all that there was. But the Comrades organisers failed to see the future.
SA track and field has regained its rightful place locally, nationally and internationally and secured sponsorship and public attention. The Comrades Marathon is now being seen for what it is – a unique event outside mainstream athletics. It also does not contribute to the overall pool of athletic talent because of its nature and thus Athletics SA is unlikely to concern itself with its future. It must look to itself.
The Comrades Marathon will not survive another decade in its current form; it has run its own course. A drastic rethink is needed. Its demise must not, however, be contemplated; it has too much history but more importantly - spirit.
Today is Youth Day in South Africa.
It is also Comrades day – Comrades Marathon Day - the day on which thousands of athletes attempt to run the 90 or so kilometres between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
The Comrades Marathon was started in 1921 by Vic Clapham who wanted to preserve the comradeship he found in service during the First World War – thus the name.
There are, however, clouds gathering for the Comrades Marathon. The entries for the race are decreasing with this year drawing a field of 12000. This a far cry from a peak of over 20 000 some years ago. The average age of the field is also increasing – now 39 for men and 40 for women. This means that fewer younger novice runners are entering - an ominous portent.
The race organisers – the Comrades Marathon Association - own their own headquarters building, have full-time staff, have computer and other equipment and employ a CEO at R430 000 annually. Therefore maintaining the required income stream is becoming a vexing headache. To keep numbers (and income) up the organisers have increased the time limit in which to finish from 11 to 12 hours. They’ve also increased sponsorship fees for the five or so major backers.
Comrades was athletics in this province. Athletic clubs sprung up in every neighbourhood and everything running centred on The Marathon. Mainstream track and field athletics became almost extinct during the years of South Africa’s isolation, which lasted from the Rome Olympics to Barcelona in 1992. Road running was all that there was. But the Comrades organisers failed to see the future.
SA track and field has regained its rightful place locally, nationally and internationally and secured sponsorship and public attention. The Comrades Marathon is now being seen for what it is – a unique event outside mainstream athletics. It also does not contribute to the overall pool of athletic talent because of its nature and thus Athletics SA is unlikely to concern itself with its future. It must look to itself.
The Comrades Marathon will not survive another decade in its current form; it has run its own course. A drastic rethink is needed. Its demise must not, however, be contemplated; it has too much history but more importantly - spirit.
posted by Malcolm @ 11:06 pm
1 Comments:
At 7:58 am,
Anonymous said…
The comrades won't disappear, sure as you've already mentioned there will be lots of changes and the size of the fields may shrink some more. But it will survive.
The raising of sponsor prices is part of that process as it becomes more professional. The major sponsors used to pay less then R1million for their rights and that was way to cheap. This year even with sponsorship now doubled in price they still got the five they needed in plenty of time.
Also the 2000 numbers are mis-leading as it was the whole 2000 year hype. If we exclude that year numbers peaked at around 14,000.
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