How To Train For The Comrades Marathon

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By Davy Crockett

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The Comrades Marathon (near 55 miles), held in South Africa, is the world's largest and oldest ultramarathon race that is all the same held today with fields that have topped 23,000 runners.

The year 2021, marked the 100^thursday anniversary of Comrades Marathon "The Ultimate Human Race." Because the pandemic cancelled the race for the 2d year, the anniversary was celebrated on May 24, 2021, with a two.2 km "1921 Tribute Run." The field of 34 invited runners included 20-one former winners from South Africa dating back to 1976. Also included were some runners who had completed more forty editions of Comrades. In total thirty-four runners participated, matching the size of the field in 1921.

Comrades today is 1 of the most paramount ultrarunning events on the international calendar. It has a rich 100-twelvemonth history packed with astonishing accomplishments by more than 400,000 finishers through the years. How did it start and what kept it going for a century? This episode volition encompass the first two years of the race in 1921 and 1922.

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Vic Clapham

Vic Clapham (1886-1962) was a railroad train engineer from Durban, S Africa and became the founder of the Comrades Marathon. He was born in London and went to South Africa with his parents when he was xiii years erstwhile in 1899 while the Anglo-Boer War was taking place between the British Empire and two Boer states who were fighting confronting British rule. Diamonds and gold had been discovered in those states. As a boy during the war, Clapham enrolled every bit an ambulance homo in the Cardock Town Guard. Thousands died on both side of the conflict, especially women and children Boers.

Equally a youth, Clapham attended Wynberg Male child's High School, one of the best academic schools in Greatcoat Town, and second oldest in S Africa. He would oftentimes walk about eight kilometers to school each twenty-four hours from his abode. Usually he was given a 3-penny "tickey" each day to pay for a train ride home so he could help in his father's grocery shop. In one case he spent the money on sweets and instead walked back abode. That resulted in a beating from his grandmother, and he never repeated that offence.

He married Nellie in 1912 and they somewhen had half dozen sons. World War I bankrupt out in 1914 when Clapham was age 28. As South Africa entered the bloody disharmonize, Clapham signed upwards with the 8^thursday Due south African Infantry and was sent to German Eastward Africa, now Tanzania. During his service he went on a 1,700-mile march in East Africa. He came down with blackwater fever, dysentery, malaria, and was close to death because of the diseases. In 1917 when he was mostly recovered, he travelled home by wagon and on a infirmary ship where he was deemed medically unfit. In one case home he worked for the local government railway as a fireman.

The Idea for Comrades Marathon

Returning British soldiers formed the "League of Comrades of the Great War" to represent the rights of veterans of the war. Clapham was interested in establishing a memorial to the suffering and deaths of his comrades during the war. Instead of creating a statue, he wanted a living memorial that would grow and embody the spirit of fortitude, endurance and bravery that typified his fallen comrades. He produced an thought to organize an event on foot from his hometown in Pietermarizburg to the littoral city of Durban, a altitude of about 56 miles.

Clapham was inspired past the London to Brighton walking races that were held before Earth War I (see episode 58) and wanted to create a similar race in South Africa. It was reported, "He felt that if infantrymen, drafted into the armed services from sedentary jobs, could endure forced marches over great distances, trained athletes could embrace the distance betwixt the 2 cities without great difficulty."

Clapham approached the League of Comrades about the thought in 1918 but received no support. They thought that the idea was crazy, far too strenuous for even trained runners. Simply he did not surrender over the side by side several years, and somewhen received approval for the result to exist held in 1921. The League wanted their name associated with the event and sponsored it by lending Clapham i pound sterling which needed to be repaid.

Comrades Marathon Planning

Clapham did his ain organizing and marketing for the race. He had a letter published in the local paper announcing the consequence and asked for donations of prizes. A Mr. JR Walker served as his secretary. Clapham had neither a car nor phone, and then all his contacts were made by postal service or in person.

Clapham's son, Eric, gave assistance in those early on years. He wrote, "Runners would descend on our domicile before the race. My dad, an arch-scrounger, got donations of tea, milk and biscuits for all. I would accept to give up my bed and slumber on the floor so a runner could have a comfy night'southward rest. On the morning of the race, my brother Douglas would have to bicycle around Maritzburg at 4.30 a.1000. in the freezing air with notebook and pencil to rouse the local runners. Each had to sign he'd been wakened. My mother would fry thick steaks on the coal stove in the kitchen. Each runner would get a massive steak topped with a couple of eggs for breakfast."

The runners were told that during the race they could receive refreshments from sure hotels along the road. An interesting feature involved a letter of greetings from the mayor of Pietermarizburg to the mayor of Durban, which was to be carried past the runner in the lead.

The Comrades Marathon Course

The 1921 Comrades course started in Pietermarizburg, also called Marizburg for curt. The city was founded in 1838 and is the capital and 2d-largest metropolis in the province of KwaZulu-Natal. The by and large dirt route and path route to Durban included many obstacles, steep hills, and even water crossings and cattle gates. But a few last kilometers in Durban were tarred.

The course is sometimes referred to as "the five large hills." With barely a single continuous mile of flat road, it can best exist described every bit mountainous instead of hilly. In the early years, it truly was a mountain trail ultra. At that place was no concept yet of an "upward year" or "downwardly year", but 1921 was on the "downwardly" course direction with still about 2,500 feet of climbing. In the following years, the course direction mostly alternated each year.

At well-nigh the seven-kilometer point is the beginning big hill, Polly Shortts. In the 19th century, the British government sent a Scottish doctor to examine Napoleon Bonaparte, who was in exile on St Helena. During the trip, the doctor'due south wife produced twins. She and one of the children died in childbirth. The surviving son, Polly Shortts settled outside Pietermaritzburg on a subcontract called Shortts' Retreat, about a mile away from a popular pub where Polly was a regular visitor and had a fiery atmosphere.

At the bottom of Polly Shortts hill, runners climb 2 kilometers gently to Ashburton (10 km). Next upwards is a climb up to the highest indicate of the course, Umlaas Road (eighteen km). Camperdown (25 km) is reached and and so Cato Ridge, a railway junction marks roughly the 30 km point. Colina #2, Inchanga Hill (37 km) climbs about 450 feet in about two kilometers after which a downhill takes the runner down to the halfway point in Drummond (43 km).

Afterwards Drummond, Botha's Hill (49 km) is climbed, where battles for get-go identify are ofttimes won, passing by a famous signal that in the future was named Arthur's Seat, a identify that 5-fourth dimension winner Arthur Newton was said to stop and rest. The descent of Botha'southward Hill is steep followed by an undulating and slightly downhill stretch to Kloof (61 km). Field's Hill (64 km) is the longest and steepest downhill on the course. Cowies Colina (72 km) is about a mile long uphill with about seventeen kilometers to go.

After passing Westville (78 km), the abode stretch is about, with only 2 modest hills remaining. A short simply steep Tollgate ascent brings the runners to the final 6 kilometers to the finish in Durban with a full distance of virtually 89 kilometers (55 miles). Durban is a big city, the tertiary largest in South Africa.

The 1921 Comrades Marathon

The first Comrades Marathon was held on "Empire Mean solar day" on May 24, 1921, the xi^th altogether of the Marriage of South Africa. Forty-8 runners entered the inaugural race, simply only 34 runners started. About of them were former infantrymen. At 7:10 a.thousand., the mayor of Pietermarritzburg, D. Sanders, started the race with a pistol shot and the mayor of Durban served as the race estimate.

Historian John Cameron-Dow wrote, "The race, in an important sense, belongs to the people of KwaZulu-Natal. Right from the beginning race in 1921, the local population have made it their upshot. Lining the road, they are just as much office of Comrades as the athletes. The interaction between runner and spectator is the very essence of the race."

Butcher Purcell of Greytown took the early on lead, crossing the bridge over Umsinduzi River beginning. He was challenged by Harry Phillips, of Marizburg and Bill Rowan, historic period 26, a farmer from Koster in the Transvaal.

"Leaving the city, a dusty sand road meandered over the hills and through the valleys all the way to Durban. Purcell, Phillips and Rowan were still together at Cato Ridge, but by the pes of Inchanga, Purcell had fallen ii minutes backside."

The halfway marker was reached at the sleepy little village of Drummond. Rowan, who had been pacing himself well went into the lead, followed by a convoy of bicycles, motorcycles and cars. He maintained and increased his lead over Phillips who was suffering from a chronic knee injury.

With almost xviii miles to become, he had built up a two-mile lead on Phillips. A motorist on the route reported, "Rowan's a marvel. He was running splendidly when I saw him."

The Clapham sons provided some coiffure support. "The runners brought their toiletries and make clean wearing apparel in small suitcases. We took these on a truck, which my dad had scrounged, and accompanied the athletes. If we saw a runner sitting at the roadside in pain, nosotros'd massage his muscles with Ellerman's liniment. Every now and again, we'd see a guy pooped out and ready to pack upwards and we would discover his suitcase and wait while he chop-chop dressed and climbed on to the truck with united states, earlier nosotros pulled off looking for someone else who needed a drink of water, a rub-downwardly, a word of encouragement or, finally, a suitcase total of warm dress."

In later years, farmers ready aid station along the route and picnic parties were held by spectators who as well handed out food to the runners.

During the race, Vernon Jones, age 12, a hereafter Comrades historian was camping with boy scouts along the route. He recalled, "As the cars approached, I was able to make out the figure of a bedraggled runner, caked with sand, Nib Rowan."

Rowan, who must accept been well-trained, had predicted finishing in nine hours. Running down West Street in Durban, covered in dust, Rowen led the convoy to the City Hall and crossed the finish line in eight:59:00, beating his prediction by only one minute. Phillips finished second, 41 minutes subsequently. (Phillips would go along to represent South Africa in the 1924 Olympics at Paris, France.)

In the spirit of Comrades, several runners finished together. Sixteen finished within the 12-hr cutoff fourth dimension. 50.E.Due west Pearson brought upward the rear, finishing in 12:20 and given a special bronze medal. Decades later, copper medals, known every bit the Vic Clapham medal, were awarded to those athletes who end the race betwixt 11 and 12 hours and Pecker Rowan medals were awarded to runners who finished between vii.5-ix hours.

Arthur Newton brings Comrades into the Limelight

The race received good newspaper printing coverage and was noticed by Arthur Newton (1883-1959), age 38. Newton had been born and raised in England. In his early adult years, he joined his brothers who were living in Durban, South Africa. Newton first became a teacher and took up running to get to piece of work. His running progressed and he started to win some curt races. In 1909 he returned to England for a while, joined the Thames Hare and Hounds cross-country club, and started to clothing his famous cross-country "10" on his racing jerseys.

In 1911, Newton became a farmer in Southward Africa. He struggled, went to serve in World War I, and returned to observe out that his farm had been neglected and much of it destroyed by fire. The government did non give him the help that he wanted, and he became convinced that he first needed to go famous.

He came upwardly with a baroque idea. He decided that his route to fame was to become an elite runner. He believed, "Genuine amateur athletics were well-nigh a wholesome equally annihilation on earth. Any man who made a really notable name at such would ever be given a hearing by the public. I took up long-altitude running solely with the object of focusing public attention on the handling to which I had been subjected." He set his sights to win the new Comrades Marathon.

Training for 1922 Comrades

In preparing for the 1922 Comrades race, Newton, established a serious training programme using any literature he could find on the subject. This ultra-distance would be much further than his cross-state races of previous years and he believed he was one-time, so idea information technology would be hard on him.

He knew that the 1921 winner, Rowan had trained doing 20-mile runs on his farm. But when Newton tried to run instead of walk, he would end up very stiff and out of breath. He finally admitted to himself that if he was to succeed, he would take to put bated his smoking after 20 years of the habit. He finally decided to allow himself two pipes a day including a post-run pipe as a reward for hard training.

Running started to come up easier. He timed all his runs, trying to improve them on item routes. By March, with race day just ten weeks away, he attempted a long run nether race conditions. His competition was the local railroad train that went on a route through the hills with several stops. He wanted to race the train for most 40 miles. All was going well until he experienced serious hurting in his chest on a steep climb. That spooked him into thinking he had a center problem.

Newton went away from his fourth dimension-trials, ignoring his watch. Instead, he concentrated on distance, non speed. He discovered the do good of the long, tiresome run. His runs worked up to 25 miles and he dropped his weight by ten pounds to 132 pounds. Subsequently more than a month, he returned to race that railroad train again and beat information technology. It was his longest run during his grooming, and he knew that he was well-nigh ready.

1922 Comrades

More than 100 men entered the 2nd Comrades race to be held on May 24, 1922. They came from all walks of life, with some experienced runners. A few days before the race, Newton traveled to Durban on the train and did some light running to stay loose. He slept very little the night before the big day, existence nervous and restless. "When I arrived at the starting bespeak early in the morning, I kept away from the great bulk of the competitors so as to be able to sit quietly and rest instead of being called upon to talk loudly amidst the general bustle and noise."

There were 89 runners who started at 6 a.k. for the uphill long run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, the "up" version of the grade in the Drakensberg Mountains. They were cheered on by crowd of 2,000 people. The mayor of Durban fired the starting pistol, and they were off followed past helpers in cars, rickshaws, bicycles and motorbikes. Newton held back his stride and was made fun of by some spectators for beingness in the back of the pack. Simply soon he started to move upwards and pass runners. By 20 miles he was passing undertrained runners who were walking. He was mid-pack by the halfway point and still non worried about the front-runners.

By mile 30, Newton passed the previous year winner, Rowan, who went out too fast and was contesting cramps. Only three other men were ahead. The race director, Clapham received give-and-take that an unknown runner "77" was among the front-runners. He said, "There was a scramble for programmes to meet who this number 77 was. It turned out to be a chap chosen Newton, from Ihluku. All I could say most him was that he was a farmer."

By mile 32 Newton moved into second place, passing a runner who had been 45 minutes ahead only at present was stopped on the side of the road existence massaged. By mile 38, during a grueling climb, Newton spotted the leader, Butcher Purcell, equally a white speck going over the acme. Newton presently went into the lead. He quickly built a large 30-infinitesimal pb over the runners limping behind him. With four miles to go and Pietermaritzburg in view, he knew victory was his. Afterward some brandy at a hotel, he attacked the final stretch.

Newton wrote, "With a swarm of cars and cycles behind, I guessed there would be a oversupply ahead. The moment I was sighted, I saw people beginning to run and in less than half a minute there was a dense crowd. The people swarmed up so of a sudden from every side that I was only merely able to get through with the aid of the police." At the Sports Ground he ran on the track and thousands cheered him on as he ran the last stretch around the track. He said, "At last I saw the tape ahead and ran to it in a tumultuous roar and auspicious from all sides to get a handshake from the metropolis mayor."

Newton finished in 8:xl, nearly 20 minutes faster than Rowan's 1921 win in the downhill direction. A oversupply lifted Newton off his feet and paraded him on their shoulders off the field. Reporters followed and photographed. His friends took him abroad to recover. By the time the 2nd-identify runner, Phillips finished in ix:09, Newton had already had a bath and dressed in every-day attire. Rowan finished 3rd in nine:13.

Newton told reporters that he did not think he would try to run that far again. "After all, I'm 39 and getting on in years." Newton became a national celebrity overnight and went on to win Comrades four more times.

Later Years

The Comrades Marathon grew each year and eventually attracted international runners. Some Comrades history facts:

Robert Mtshali

The kickoff woman ran unofficially in 1923, Frances Hayward, who finished in 11:35.
Robert Mtshali was the first unofficial black finisher in 1935 with a fourth dimension of 9:30.
Comrades was not held during World War II from 1941-1945.
In 1948 a tradition began to kickoff the race with a loud imitation of a cock's crow instead of a pistol shot.
Wally Hayward (1908-2006) became the commencement person to intermission the six-hour barrier in 1953 with a 5:52 end.
In 1962 the race started to attract foreign runners.
In the 1970s the race had three,000 runners and was widely circulate on both radio and tv.
In 1975, blacks and women were finally allowed to officially run.
Bruce Fordyce of South Africa won Comrades nine times, viii in a row during the 1980s. He has finished the race thirty times.
Sam Tshabalala

Sam Tshabalala became the first black winner in 1989.
For a fourth dimension, Americans and others were not immune to compete by running associations until apartheid was lifted in 1991.
In 1995 cash prizes were introduced and the event became more commercialized. By 1996 it was the largest sporting event in South Africa.
The largest race was in 2000, with a massive 23,961 runner field. An amazing 20,000 runners finished in the allowed 12 hours.
In 2012, Antony Clapham, the peachy-grandson of the race founder successfully finished Comrades.
Camille Herron wins Comrades in 2017

There have been at least seven deaths during the race.
American, Ann Trason won Comrades twice, in 1996 and 1997. In more than contempo years, Camille Herron won in 2017. She said information technology is "the ultimate race to do as an ultrarunner."
American ultrarunning legend, Dave Obelkevich, finished Comrades eleven times.
Barry The netherlands and Louis Massyn of Due south Africa have 47 sequent Comrades finishes, 1973-2019.
Every bit of 2021, Comrades has been held 94 times

Other articles about Comrades legends:

59: Arthur Newton
83: Hardy Ballington – The Forgotten Great Ultrarunner
84: Wally Hayward (1908-2006) – South African Legend
85: Mavis Hutchison – Galloping Granny
86: Jackie Mekler – Comrades Fable

Sources:

John, Cameron-Dow, The Ultimate Human Race
Morris Alexander, The Comrades Marathon Story
"How it all began"
The Ultimate Human Race
Comrades History
Arthur Newton, Running in 3 Continents
Rob Hadgraft, Tea with Mr. Newton: 100,000 Miles – The Longest 'Protest March' in History
Mark Whitaker, Running for their Lives: The Extraordinary Story of Great britain's Greatest Ever Distance Runners
Comrades Marathon turns 100 years old
A Soldier'south Dream