The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) will be conducting Race Organising Committee portfolio debriefs in the coming weeks after concerns from runners following the 96th Comrades Marathon held on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Picture: Shelley Kjonstad/African News Agency (ANA)
Durban — Two weeks after the Comrades Marathon, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) said there have been concerns from runners following the marathon.
The CMA confirmed that it is looking into concerns raised by runners in this year’s 96th Comrades Marathon held on Sunday, June 11, 2023.
“The CMA Board has noted runners’ concerns. We will be conducting Race Organising Committee portfolio debriefs in the coming weeks. We will look at all aspects of the race, from the start and the route to the finish,” said CMA chairperson Mqondisi Ngcobo.
“Our race has always been about putting runners first and once we have finalised our debriefs, taking into account some of the concerns that our runners have raised, we will implement those recommendations which are aimed at improving our race offerings in 2024 and beyond.”
Recently when the CMA announced the 2023 Comrades Marathon provisional results, it said that Nedbank Running Club’s Tete Dijana won the Men’s Race in a time of 5:13:58; breaking David Gatebe’s 2016 Best Time of 5:18:19 by over four minutes. This, while Gerda Steyn claimed her victory in a time of 5:44:54, breaking Frith van der Merwe’s 34-year stranglehold on the Women’s Best Time of 5:54:43 by more than 9 minutes.
There were 16,072 starters and 14,896 finishers at this year’s race.
The Comrades Marathon had a 92.68% finish rate which is the highest-ever finishing rate in the history of The Ultimate Human Race.
The CMA added that the 96th Comrades Marathon has been lauded for having the seventh-highest finisher rate in the history of the 102-year-old ultramarathon.
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