Durban
KwaZulu-Natal Athletics has upheld a decision not to award veteran runner Zola Budd Pieterse first place in last year’s Comrades Marathon for the women’s 40-49 veteran age category.
The decision was upheld by the KZN Athletics disciplinary committee, which on Tuesday finalised all disciplinary hearings related to the 2012 and 2013 Comrades Marathons.
The committee also looked into a dispute raised by Budd Pieterse, who believes she should have been awarded first place in her category last year.
Budd Pieterse was awarded seventh place overall in the women’s category, but KZN Athletics did not allow the athlete to claim her first place in the veterans because she did not display her age category tags correctly.
“This matter has now been closed and all parties recognise that the ASA age category rule remains in force and neither KZN Athletics nor Comrades Marathon Association has authority to repeal, change or relax it in anyway without the express permission of ASA,” said Trevor Neethling, spokesman for KZN Athletics.
But Budd Pieterse’s manager, Ray de Vries, said “nothing is closed” and they were in the process of legally contesting the decision. “We are taking the legal route and we have contacted an international expert and will open a legal case. They cannot say the matter is closed because it is not. It is not over until the fat lady sings.”
De Vries said Budd Pieterse would not run this year’s event.
The association with Comrades Marathon Association said 20 people, including five international participants, were charged with not completing the full official course.
Six runners were cleared of cheating after proving that their final times were as a result of the organiser’s error.