Comrades' entry date extended
5 April 2006
The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has announced this week that the entry closing date for the 2006 'Up Run' from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on 16 June has been extended by a week to 8 May.
The extension has been made possible after talks with Athletics South Africa, who will stage the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon on 7 May.
Normally the cut-off date for Comrades entries is 3 May, but the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon is expected to attract a huge field, and with the Comrades Marathon likely to draw extra entries from this race, it was mutually decided between the two organisations to extend the closing date.
A double-edge situation
"We are pleased that the Comrades Marathon Association has acceded to our request. It's a double-edged situation. We believe the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon will attract a number of ultra-marathon runners who wish to run the Comrades on June 16, and as such
we believe that they should be given the opportunity of qualifying for the Comrades at our race," Linda Ferns, General Manager of Athletics South Africa said.
"We are grateful to the Comrades Marathon Association for extending the closing date and making the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon as the final qualifier for their event."
Ferns has challenged all ultra-athletes – the likes of Andrew Kelehe, Fusi Nhlapo and the other top athletes - to participate in the Nedbank Johannesburg City Marathon.
Huge cash incentive
She said: "There's a huge cash incentive – R60 000 for the winners of the men's and women's race plus cash prizes right down to the tenth finisher. The closing dates for these entries is 3 May and I urge the clubs and provinces to get behind this final Comrades qualifier so that we have a record field for the final race in our 2006 Nedbank Marathon and Short Distance Race Series."
Nedbank, one of the largest
banking organisations in the country, are one of the six major sponsors of the Comrades Marathon.
Gary Boshoff, General Manager of the CMA, said that the decision to change the deadline was a mutual one.
'A win-win situation'
"It's a win-win situation if you take all the issues at stake in both our races," he said.
"We are delighted that ASA have agreed to allow us to be visible at their race to attract a few more entries. The extra week will no doubt assist those from the outlying areas who work during the week to get their entries to us on that weekend. So it's a case of helping not only ourselves but the main role players of the event as well."
Source: Comrades Marathon
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