Comrades 2008

Comrades Update!

Image:http://eng.rusathletics.com/nov/nov.php?ind=2504
Results: First 5 men and women…source:comradesblog.com
Men

Leonid Shvetsov – 5:24:49
Jaroslaw Janicki – 5:38:30
Stephen Muzhingi – 5:39:41
Oleg Kharitonov – 5:42:05
Grigory Murzin – 5:43:08

Women

Elena Nurgalieva – 6:14:38
Olesya Nurgalieva – 6:15:53
Tatyana Zhirkova – 6:17:46
Marina Myshlyanova – 6:30:50
Marina Bychkova – 6:38:03
Shvetsov sets Comrades record
15/06/2008 11:02 – (SA)
Russian winner Leonid Shvetsov has won the 2008 Comrades Marathon, setting a new record for the ultra marathon.

After crossing the finish line he raised his arms once in joy and then fell to the ground in what appeared to be a mixture of exhaustion, relief and happiness.

He arrived at the Pietermaritzburg Oval shortly before 11:00.

Shvetsov was the favourite to win the race and not only won first place, but set up a new record, breaking the previous record of 5:25:33 set in 2000.

Sheets ran ahead of the pack for the last 30km.

His final time had not yet been confirmed by officials

Read the article HERE …

Elena Nurgalieva wins Comrades
15/06/2008 12:27 – (SA)
Pietermaritzburg – Russian Elena Nurgalieva was the first woman home in the 2008 Comrades Marathon in 6 hours 14 minutes 36 seconds, despite having fallen twice during the race and running with a bleeding knee.

In second place was her twin sister, last year’s winner, Olesya Nurgalieva (6:15.51) and third was Tatyana Zhirkova (6:17.44). Source: News24.com

Today (13th April) is the London Marathon…read on THIS LINK about this marathon in London… 40 000 runners hope to finish the 26 miles-marathon!
In South Africa, we have an ultra marathon, the Comrades…I think it’s 92 km… it’s very tough and many people in the country want to run this prestigious ultra marathon…thousands of runners from all over the globe run this marathon too. Unfortunately, not all of them can finish this marathon… you have to be tops to finish it! When I was a student I used to have friends running this marathon… and it was always “fun”… seeing them afterwards…I think if you’re an ultra marathon athlete…you know exactly what I’m talking about…the PAIN!

Click HERE to read about the Comrades Marathon. It takes place on the 15th June 2008. On this link you can find all the information you need! Good luck!!
THE COMRADES MARATHON:
HOW IT ALL BEGAN

Arguably the greatest ultra marathon in the world where athletes come from all over the world to combine muscle and sinew and mental strength to conquer the approx 90 kilometres between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, the event owes its beginnings to the vision of one man, World War I veteran Vic Clapham.

Vic Clapham was born in London on 16 November 1886 and emigrated as a youth to the Cape Colony in South Africa, with his parents. At the outbreak of the South African War (Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902) he enrolled as an ambulance man into the Cradock Town Guard at the age of 13. He later moved to Natal and worked as an engine driver with the South African Railways.

With the outbreak of the Great War 1914-1918, Vic Clapham signed up with the 8th South African Infantry, and fought and marched 1700 miles of the eastern savannahs of Africa in pursuit of Glen Paul Von Lettow-Vorbecks askari battalions.

The pain, agonies, death and hardships of his comrades which he witnessed during those awful days left a lasting impression on the battle-hardened soldier, especially the camaraderie engendered among the men in overcoming these privations. Thus when peace was declared in 1918, Clapham felt that all those who had fallen in this catastrophic war should be remembered and honoured in a unique way, where an individuals physical frailties could be put to the test and overcome. Remembering the searing heat and thirst of the parched veld through which he had campaigned, he settled on the idea of a marathon and he approached the athletic authorities of the day to sound their views. His enquiry led him to the doors of the League of Comrades of the Great War a corpus of ex-soldiers who had formed an association to foster the interests of their living companions who had survived the War.

Clapham asked for permission to stage a 56 mile race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban under the name of the Comrades Marathon and for it to become a living memorial to the spirit of the soldiers of the Great War This was strenuously resisted by the League, but Clapham persisted maintaining that if a sedentary living person could be taken off the street given a rifle and 60lb pack and marched all over Africa then surely a fit and able athlete could complete the distance. Applications in 1919 and 1920 were refused but in 1921 the League relented and gave permission and 1 for expenses, which was refundable.

The first Comrades Marathon took place on 24th May 1921, Empire Day, starting outside the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg with 34 runners. It has continued since then every year with the exception of the war years 1941-1945, with the direction alternating each year between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, the so called up & down runs.

The Comrades Marathon is a cherished national treasure and attracts thousands of runners, spectators and television viewers every year. We invite you to participate in this great event and experience the worlds greatest race.

WALLY HAYWARD…the man…the legend! What a remarkable man!

Having competed on the track in his early 20s, Hayward represented South Africa in the Empire and Olympic Games in the standard marathon, and set world records for ultra-marathon distances.Hayward was best known for his achievements in the Comrades Marathon.

Friends persuaded him to participate in the 1988 Comrades Marathon – at the age of 79.
Boshoff said: “The nation was stunned as the 79-year-old hero crossed the finish line in a remarkable nine hours and 44 minutes.

“Wally’s most dramatic moment came the following year, 1989, when he completed the down run at the age of 80.

“Wally was cherished as an icon and will be remembered as an inspiration to thousands of runners.”

Wally won the Comrades in 1930 (pictures on the link) In 1950, after not having run in the Comrades for 20 years, Wally lined up once again for the world’s ultimate ultra marathon. He won the race again in a time of 6:46:25.
On 26 September 1953, at 45 years of age, Wally Hayward shattered the 80 Km London-to-Brighton record by 22:42, winning in 5:29:40. He also established his first World record for 50 miles (5:14:12) along the way.
Read more about WALLY HAYWARD and his records…here. There are photos too.

Celebrity…chef….. Gordon Ramsay has also run the Comrades..on the link you can read about it. I would love to add more celebrities…if I know about them!

Steve Cram…sport man…and broadcaster…. completed the Comrades Marathon raising funds for Bosnia, Kosova and Sport Aid South Africa… a few years ago. Source: cmmol. net /steve_cram. htm

5FM DJ Koula…also ran the Comrades and you can see her on the video report HERE …or you can listen to her here on this link!
koula
The first of the youtube videos gives you a good idea of the spirit amongst the people…everybody wants all athletes to finish before that final second!! On this day…if you are not running…you are “running” in front of the tele!! and you feel like crying for those not making it and got cut off!

 

Bruce Fordyce..South African marathon athlete

Winner of: Comrades Marathon 1981, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 88, 90; London to Brighton Marathon 1981, 82, 83; US 50 mile Championship 1984; Nansivik Ultra Marathon Baffin Island 1987, 1992; Standard Bank 100 km Ultra-Marathon 1989; World Ultra-Marathon record holder. Source: whoswhosa.co.za

Hydration—What You Need To Know

Can you drink too much?
Ironically, while you can’t drink enough to replace all fluid lost, you can drink too much. Researchers have noted the dangers of excess hydration during events lasting over four hours. Dr. Tim Noakes collected data for 10 years from some 10,000 runners participating in the Comrades Marathon. This 52.4-mile (84.33 km) race, held each June (winter) in South Africa, ranks as one of the world’s premier ultra-marathons. Noakes showed that endurance athletes who consumed from 16-24 fluid ounces per hour (approx 475-710 milliliters) typically repleted as much fluid as is efficiently possible. He also noted the prevalence of hyponatremia (low blood sodium) during ultra-marathons and triathlons in runners who hydrated excessively. This condition can arise from several different physiological scenarios. For endurance athletes, it usually results from sweat-depleted sodium stores diluted by excess hypotonic (low electrolyte content) fluid intake. When blood sodium concentration becomes too dilute, you can develop severe cardiac symptoms leading to collapse.
Read on the bottom of THIS LINK more about hydration and how to prepare yourself for a marathon like this!