A special larger than normal commemorative medal denoting the 95th edition of the Comrades Marathon will be struck for this year’s race.
A new trophy will also be introduced to the 20–39 years Women’s 2nd place team prize.
To commemorate the centenary of the world’s biggest, oldest and most famous ultramarathon the recently published Comrades coffee table book, In Your Stride, si also available.
CMA Race Director, Rowyn James says, “We have exciting plans in place for this year’s Down Run which will finish at Durban’s acclaimed Moses Mabhida Stadium for the second time. Qualifying for the 2022 Comrades Marathon is applicable as of 1 September 2021 till 12 July 2022. The qualifying criteria for this year’s Comrades Marathon remains unchanged requiring completion of a standard 42.2km marathon in under 4 hours and 50 minutes, or a 56km ultra-marathon in under 6 hours and 45 minutes.”
The Substitution Process will run over the month of June. More details will be revealed closer to the time.
Since inception, the Comrades Amabeadibeadi charity drive has raised more than R60-million for the CMA’s six official charities. The benefitting charities for 2022 are Childhood Cancer Foundation SA (CHOC), Community Chests of Pietermaritzburg & Durban, Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, Hospice KZN, Rise Against Hunger and Wildlands Conservation Trust.
The Race4Charity fundraising platform requires that runners raise a minimum of R6000 for the Amabeadibeadi charity of their choice, in order to qualify for the charity seeding batch on the start line. 500 entries have been reserved for Race4Charity runners. For more details on the Race4Charity initiative, click through to www.comrades.com/charities/race-4-charity
Ngcobo has called on all runners to support the charitable fundraising initiatives of the CMA, saying, “We urge all Comrades entrants to select the Official Charity closest to their heart and commit to running for a cause greater than themselves. As the CMA, we have placed great focus on benefitting the communities in which we operate and continuously adding value to the sport of athletics.”
The CMA also launched its new book and board game at the event, namely the Comrades Monopoly which is a world-first for any road-running race. The Comrades Monopoly is a Special Limited Centenary Edition with custom board, properties, money and cards.
For properties, all the Comrades Marathon route landmarks have been used. For the most expensive properties, the Down Run Course Records were used, as well as the fastest times by foreign runners and the record of 9 wins.
Additionally, Comrades House and the Comrades Marathon Wall of Honour are used for the Traditional Utility properties while Chance and Community Chest cards feature as Down Run and Up Run.
For more information, please visit www.marathonmonopoly.com
The recently published Comrades book, In Your Stride. depicts the history of the Comrades Marathon in a unique coffee table format.
Its reflects the extraordinary spectacle of the event and many never-before-seen photographs, as well as unforgettable moments of when global icon, world statesman and father of the nation, Nelson Mandela made his surprise visit to the 1996 Comrades Marathon.
The magic of the world’s greatest footrace is stunningly encapsulated through depictions of its iconic badges, flashes, race numbers, memorabilia, race paraphernalia and lists everyone who has ever achieved a Green Number.
In Your Stride: 100 Years of the Comrades Marathon, 1921 – 2021 by Steve Camp and Brad Morgan is a must-have for anyone who has been inspired by the race. Consisting of 264 pages in full colour and a matte cover finish with UV spot varnish, the book is a 280x280mm hard cover publication crammed with loads of information and imagery on the world’s most spectacular footrace.
Runners and supporters residing in South Africa can order their copy now for only R480,00 including packaging and delivery within the Republic, by clicking through here: In Your Stride | i-go-books (igobooks.co.za)
For international orders, please email delaine@comrades.com
