11 000 entries for Comrades

Over 11000 runners will line up at Durban's Post Office for the 83rd Comrades Marathon on Sunday June 15.

"We have processed 11140 official entries at present but there are still a few hundred queries still to be finalized and that could see the number increasing by the start of the expo on Thursday ( June 12)," said Comrades Marathon General Manager Gary Boshoff.

''The 11 000 barrier is an important one. Traditionally, the 'up' run attracts around 1000 less than the down run which is perceived to be less demanding." Last year's down run attracted 12006 entries.

The first race, a down run on may 24 1921, attracted 48 entries with 16 runners completing the journey to Durban in the allocated time. This more than doubled for the first up-run in 1922 with 26 finishers from the 114 entries, but the real expansion came in the two decades of sporting isolation from 1976 to the 1990's with the millennium race of 2000 reaching a peak of 24,000 runners. In recent years the numbers have stabilized in the eleven to twelve thousand mark.

In spite of the greater number of sporting and recreational options, the dramatic increases in fuel, food and travel costs and the extensive preparation required the challenge of Comrades continues to inspire and motivate runners from all over the world.

''Some seventy percent of our runners come from outside the province. "With prices having risen sharply, it's no longer an inexpensive trip. Many runners simply cannot afford to get to the race,'' said Boshoff.

"This year we expect to see a record number of runners taking advantage of the bed and meal provided at the Royal Show Ground the night before and after the race. We are looking to cater for over 800 runners, which is nearly ten percent of the field and a clear indication that economics is now a major factor in how many people enter road races," concluded Boschoff.