Comrades to be run in May in 2009, 2010

The 2009 and 2010 Comrades Marathons will be staged in May to avoid clashes with football's Confederations Cup and World Cups, the race's organising body announced on Monday.

The 2009 'down' run will take place on Sunday, 24 May and the 2010 'up' run will be held on Sunday, May 30.

Comrades Marathon Association chairman Dave Dixon explained that it would have been unfeasible to stage the Comrades Marathon during the Fifa World Cup and the Fifa Confederations Cup.

“The first World Cup match is on 11th June 2010, so we simply cannot hold the Comrades during June, as we normally do. It will be impossible to obtain essential resources. The SAPS and traffic authorities will be fully occupied, attending to thousands of visitors while most of the country’s broadcast facilities will be tied up in the coverage of football matches”.

The CMA believes that the new Comrades dates will benefit the sport in that the national attention will remain focused on the Comrades Marathon ahead of the Confederations Cup in 2009 and the Fifa World Cup in 2010. “We therefore felt it appropriate to move the race forward in anticipation of 2010,” explained Dixon.