Human strength and camaraderie on display at the Comrades
This year marks 102 years since a group of 34 men who fought together in World War I put their strength to the test by racing between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in honour of their fallen comrades.
Since 1921 at least 300 000 runners have answered the call to be part of the ultimate human race to experience the camaraderie and the tough hills in between.
A documentary, “Down: A Comrades Story”, streaming on Showmax, celebrates the personal victories, history and traditions of the greatest ultramarathon in the world.
Although it does not answer the question of who the greatest comrade, champion and legend is, Wally Hayward, Arthur Newton, Johnny Halberstadt, Shaun Meiklejohn, Bruce Fordyce, Frith van der Merwe and Charne Bosmann are the athletes that top the list for their unforgettable showmanship.
The film takes one on an emotional journey. Witnessing the resilience and determination of hundreds of thousands of runners with one goal, where they run as equals, leaves one shedding a tear and instils hope of a world that sees no race, class or gender.
Before 1975, the marathon was only open to white men. However, Vincent Rakhabele defied the laws and was at the line-up of the 1974 race. He was not arrested or pulled out of the race, and under much pressure, in 1975, the marathon opened up to all races and to women. Rakhabele went on to win a silver medal, paving the way for many black athletes that came after him.
Fordyce, the nine-times Comrades winner, said the name of the marathon described exactly what the race was, “a test of courage and character”, bringing out the best in humanity. He ran his first Comrades in 1977 but it was only in 1981 that he clinched his first gold medal.
“It was bittersweet for me, sweet because it was my first win, bitter because I was the most unpopular winner in the history of the race. We wore black armbands in defiance of the government, to protest. I was hit by tomatoes, an egg and was booed all the way along the race.”
He said the traditions, including the singing and the bus driving, were also what made the race unique. A bus driver is a runner who leads a group of runners, a bus, to the finish line before cut off times.
“The traditions of Comrades are critical, the day we lose them is when we lose comrades.”
Fordyce said the only way to run the Comrades was to start like a coward and finish like a hero.
“You start full of fear, worry, circumspection, and you start slowly and you keep all your energy in and then you finish fast.
The film highlights points of interest during the 90km race but the ones that stand out are the Ethembeni School for the Handicapped, Arthur’s Seat and the Wall of Honour.
The school is near Inchanga and the children, who are mostly in wheelchairs, line the road every year cheering the runners on.
Arthur's Seat was a favourite resting spot for Arthur Newton, a farmer from Harding, who ran the Comrades in protest of the rezoning of his farm by the government, preventing him from tilting the land. Newton went on to win the Comrades five times and runners greet him, place a flower and ask for luck on their second half of the race.
The wall of honour overlooks the Valley of a Thousand Hills and was created to serve as a permanent landmark to commemorate the achievement of Comrades runners who have completed the race. Runners purchase a block which is engraved with their name and race number.
2022 Comrades winner Tete Dijana is one to watch on Sunday. Last year he walked away with the R500 000 prize money. During his interview he shared that he first ran the marathon in 2019 and was in 50th position.
“I have struggled a lot, going to races with no money for food, registration fee, or transport fare. The situation at home was tough but I coped through running barefoot. Running barefoot does not mean you cannot chase your dream.”
He said when he was close to the finish line last year he could not believe that he was going to be the winner.
“When the crowd was screaming it was unbelievable. I was emotional and kept asking myself if it was really me or if I was dreaming. But I remembered the struggle I went through to achieve what I did and this was for my family,” he said.
SUNDAY TRIBUNE