Durban: Organisers of the Comrades Marathon are optimistic the race will go ahead in 2020, even though the Covid-19 virus has tripped up their planned June 19 date.
Delaine Cools, the race’s spokesperson, said once the lockdown is lifted, and with Athletics South Africa’s blessings, a new race date, which is likely to be sometime this year, will be set.
Considering Drummond’s long-running association with the Comrades, it’s not surprising that some residents from this rural village, which provides the event’s traditional halfway mark, were feeling nostalgic while cooped up at home.
So to shake off the lockdown lethargy and satisfy their Comrades cravings, 20 Drummond locals participated in a relay version of the event, albeit in their respective backyards, yesterday.
In keeping with Comrades tradition, the race commenced at 6am and participating runners were given 30-minute slots to cover as much ground as possible, before their race cut-off at 11am. Runners were able to measure the distance they covered in their respective time slots with geo-tracking apps, and this information was shared on their WhatsApp group.
After negotiating garden pathways, steep slopes, stairs, electric fences, and chicken coops, the 20 runners successfully covered the Comrades' 90km distance.
Instead of the cheering crowds, who are known to line the Comrades route between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, only bleating sheep, neighing horses and barking dogs acknowledged the Drummond runners.
Regardless, they appreciated the opportunity to break into stride and enjoy a “sense of community”.
Carol Bailey, one of the locals who was instrumental in arranging the race, said she and a few other runners were chatting on their 1000 Hills Fitness WhatsApp group when the relay race idea was triggered.
“We were sharing pictures and videos of exercise routines but we struggled with motivation.”
Bailey said their idea for each of them to run strictly in their own yards drew ten interested runners, who also ran in the 30 minute intervals, and they were able to complete a marathon distance of 40.02km, last Saturday.
Her husband, Steven, “a non-runner”, who took in the action from their veranda, armed with a cup of coffee, provided quirky commentary on the race as each runner posted the distances covered on the group chat.
Bailey said after last week’s run they got ambitious, more keep-fit enthusiasts showed interest and that’s when they decided to extend their relay race to the Comrades distance.
“Great interest had been built in the community ahead of our ‘Comrades’ run. One of our locals, Daniel Stewart, who is (on) lockdown in the US, also joined in,” said Bailey.
Stewart, who was on a business trip and forced to lockdown in South Carolina, said he heard about the race from his friends in Drummond.
With the US lockdown not as severe, Stewart said he used the opportunity to run around a small forest.
He too didn’t get much spectator support as his synchronised run around the forest happened around midnight, because of the six-hour time difference. Stewart said technology was great for connecting with people but he “missed his dogs”.
Tristan Dickerson, another Drummond local, missed his runs on Durban’s beachfront, but yesterday’s was good fun, even though the 90m route around his home was flat and had him looking at the same leaves, stones, and ground, lap after lap.
Kim Smith agreed it was “odd to run in your garden because you are going around corners, you have fences and dogs to contend with”.
“You’re going up and down steps, much like a cross-country race.
“I can’t wait to get on the open road, I’m sure I will be quicker.”
Smith said she was surprised that others did not pick up on the idea sooner. After last week’s run, which she posted about on Facebook, two health groups in the US will be running their own races.
Meanwhile, Cools said the Comrades Marathon board would prefer to postpone the 95th edition of race rather than cancel.
“As soon as lockdown ends, the board will meet to decide on a postponed date together with Athletics South. That’s when issues about qualifying for the race, including decisions on logistical and partnership matters will be taken,” she said.