Comrades 2004: Kotov triples up
Brad Morgan
17 June 2004
Vladimir Kotov proved his class in the 2004 Comrades Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg with his third up run win in succession. In the women's race, Elena Nurgalieva won for the second time in two starts when she claimed victory in record time in her first attempt at the climb.
Kotov's win in five hours 31 minutes and 22 seconds was outside his own record for the up run, but it made him the oldest winner in the history of the race at 46 years of age. That record previously belonged to Comrades legend Wally Hayward, who still holds the record for the oldest finisher in the history of the race.
There were some questions raised about Kotov's status afterwards: is he a South African or not? From Belarussia, he now lives in Cape Town and became a South African citizen a few months ago.
In the post-race press conference, Kotov pointed out that he had, in recent times, competed in marathons in Thailand and Malaysia, and a half-marathon in
Poland, and his nationality had been recorded as South African.
Magnanimous gesture
In a magnanimous gesture, Kotov presented the statue he won as the first South African finisher to Willie Mtolo, who crossed the finish line in fourth place. It was a big gift, one worth R65 000. "I am a South African citizen, but Willie is the first original South African athlete", Kotov said. "I just feel it's the right thing to do."
Kotov said his plan for the race was to lie just behind the leading group and wait until the opportunity presented itself for him to make his move. That opportunity came at the much-feared Polly Shorts, a tough climb late in the race. He pressed the accelerator down as the climb began and from there he ran the rest of the race alone.
Despite the apparent ease of his win, he said later: "The race is never decided until you cross the finish line." And it is true that the Comrades took plenty out of him; he had to have a
short lie-down to recover from his exertions before facing the press.
Kotov says his ambition now is to win the down run in 2005.
Surprising second
Jaroslav Janicki, who won the down run in 1999, surprised with his second-place finish. Most experts viewed him as a down runner only, but he hung tough, allowing Kotov to get away only when the race reached Polly Shorts.
Oleg Kharitonov had to settle for third after he, too, was dropped by Kotov on Polly Shorts. Following the Russian home was Willie Mtolo, and in fifth place was another South African, 2001 down run champion Andrew Kelehe. Like Janicki, Kelehe was regarded as a down runner, and his strong showing came as something of a surprise.
Women's winner Elena Nurgalieva found the race every bit as testing as men's winner Vladimir Kotov, if not more so. "I had to give everything to finish", she stated. "During the race I told myself I never wanted to run it again." However,
after winning she quickly committed herself to defending the title she has won the past two years.
It was a great run by the Russian athlete, and her winning time of six hours, 13 minutes and 23 seconds eclipsed the previous up run record held by Ann Trason. Nurgalieva admitted she hadn’t been aiming for the record; it was something that just happened. It was a pretty good something to "just happen" from a financial standpoint.
Significant boost
Her win was worth R175 000, but the record was worth even more. It meant she was awarded a 100-ounce gold Hermes statue, worth R256 000. That makes it a significant boost to her earnings, and that's apart from a bonus she also picked up from Premier, her sponsors.
Marina Bychkova captured second place, nearly three minutes back, after a strong finish. Nurgalieva admitted afterwards that Bychkova's hot early pace ensured she never felt comfortable throughout the race.
South African Farwa
Mentoor claimed a popular third place. She ran a much more committed race than she had in previous Comrades attempts, spending a good deal of it running alongside the Nurgalieva twins and Bychkova. Ultimately she finished comfortably ahead of fourth-placed Oelysa Nurgalieva, but over four minutes adrift of Bychkova.
Afterwards Mentoor declared herself happy with her effort and thanked the "fantastic" crowds for lifting her along the route. She said her third place had given her hope of a victory in the future.
Rounding out the top five and following Oelysa Nurgalieva across the finish line was the third Russian in the top five, Tatiana Zhirkova.
The Gunga Din
The Gunga Din Trophy for the top team went to the Harmony Gold line-up, which was led by Willie Mtolo's fourth-place finish. He received good support from 10th-placed Jacob Madima, 12th-placed Harmans Mokgadi, and 14th-placed Elias Mabane.
Liberty Nike took second place,
with Andrew Kelehe their top performer, while Mr Price Gauteng ended third.
Joseph Ikaneng picked up the Dash for Cash prize of R25 000 for being the first gold medallist through the halfway mark at Drummond. He eventually finished in sixth place.
And for the record, the winner of the final medal was 44-year-old Johannesburg policeman Thamsanga Zulu, who sneaked across the finish line just ahead of the dreaded final gun.
The decision to move the finish of the 2004 Comrades Marathon to the Pietermaritzburg Oval at Alexander Park proved to be a huge success. A festive atmosphere prevailed throughout the day, with colourful tents representing running clubs and major sponsors dotted around the picturesque ground.
Crowd support was as loud and enthusiastic as ever, and it remains one of those things that make the Comrades Marathon such a special event.
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