Latest news with #ComradesMarathonAssociation
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Public backs top contenders as Comrades race director post opens
ANN Ashworth, Graham Block, Rene Kalmer and Norrie Williamson are some of the names being touted on social media for the vacant position of Comrades Marathon race director, which is open for applications until Monday, July 21. The Ultra Marathon posted on their website and social media pages on Tuesday that they are searching for 'a highly experienced race director to manage the planning, co-ordination, and execution of the Comrades Marathon', sparking a frenzy of comments. A number of the commenters are calling on the requirements to include applicants being a race finisher or a Green Number holder. 'Make sure the race director is a runner,' commented Kosie Gericke. 'Then he or she would understand the needs and requirements of a race.' This request was supported by Sbonelo Ndlovu who said, 'Be comrades marathon finisher, please add to your requirements.' The comments were made in line with this year's controversial finish of the nearly 90km Down Run, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, which was at the roadside near People's Park. This was a first for Comrades and it sparked confusion and chaos among runners and spectators alike, bringing the stadia precinct to a standstill in traffic. Also Read: Organisers slam false reporting of deaths at Comrades Marathon It also resulted in runner M33485, Moira Harding, going missing after finishing the ultimate endurance race at 16:52 on Sunday, June 8. She was found on Mahatma Gandhi (formerly Point) Road in Durban on Monday morning and had to be airlifted to hospital. Harding, who was exhausted from running 89km, had walked further 7km to an arranged meeting point with her family. 'One of the requirements should be that the potential race director should be skilled at ensuring eliminating confusion at the end of the race to ensure that no one gets lost after the run,' weighed in Robert Shivambu on Facebook. Among the requirements of the vacancy is strategic management, event management, risk and safety management, stakeholder and community engagement, communications and media, essential competencies, post-event monitoring, evaluation and reporting. 'Be part of preserving the race's rich history while driving innovation, operational excellence, and an unforgettable participant experience,' read the advert. Also Read: VIDEO: Missing Comrades Marathon runner found near port The position was previously held by Alain Dalais who was appointed to the post of general manager of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) in January. He served as the acting race and operations manager since July 2024 following the dismissal of Ann Ashworth in June. Following numerous tags on the social media post, Graham Block responded: 'Oh Wow! I am both honoured and humbled all at the same. Thank you to everyone for believing in me. HUGELY APPRECIATED, Run Zone Athletics Club is my heartbeat and my life. We have so much planned for the future of our members and Run Zone Athletics Club. We as a club will assist, contribute and be involved with Comrades Marathon as much as possible. Run Zone Athletics Club Page is and always will be my heartbeat and my loyalty to our members is top of my life's goals and dreams next to God, my Wife and my Family. Thank You.' For the full job description and to apply, visit For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
Comrades Marathon seeks new race director to lead iconic event
ANN Ashworth, Graham Block, Rene Kalmer and Norrie Williamson are some of the names being touted on social media for the vacant position of Comrades Marathon race director, which is open for applications until Monday, July 21. The Ultra Marathon posted on their website and social media pages on Tuesday that they are searching for 'a highly experienced race director to manage the planning, co-ordination, and execution of the Comrades Marathon', sparking a frenzy of comments. A number of the commenters are calling on the requirements to include applicants being a race finisher or a Green Number holder. 'Make sure the race director is a runner,' commented Kosie Gericke. 'Then he or she would understand the needs and requirements of a race.' This request was supported by Sbonelo Ndlovu who said, 'Be comrades marathon finisher, please add to your requirements.' The comments were made in line with this year's controversial finish of the nearly 90km Down Run, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, which was at the roadside near People's Park. This was a first for Comrades and it sparked confusion and chaos among runners and spectators alike, bringing the stadia precinct to a standstill in traffic. Also Read: Organisers slam false reporting of deaths at Comrades Marathon It also resulted in runner M33485, Moira Harding, going missing after finishing the ultimate endurance race at 16:52 on Sunday, June 8. She was found on Mahatma Gandhi (formerly Point) Road in Durban on Monday morning and had to be airlifted to hospital. Harding, who was exhausted from running 89km, had walked further 7km to an arranged meeting point with her family. 'One of the requirements should be that the potential race director should be skilled at ensuring eliminating confusion at the end of the race to ensure that no one gets lost after the run,' weighed in Robert Shivambu on Facebook. Among the requirements of the vacancy is strategic management, event management, risk and safety management, stakeholder and community engagement, communications and media, essential competencies, post-event monitoring, evaluation and reporting. 'Be part of preserving the race's rich history while driving innovation, operational excellence, and an unforgettable participant experience,' read the advert. Also Read: VIDEO: Missing Comrades Marathon runner found near port The position was previously held by Alain Dalais who was appointed to the post of general manager of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) in January. He served as the acting race and operations manager since July 2024 following the dismissal of Ann Ashworth in June. Following numerous tags on the social media post, Graham Block responded: 'Oh Wow! I am both honoured and humbled all at the same. Thank you to everyone for believing in me. HUGELY APPRECIATED, Run Zone Athletics Club is my heartbeat and my life. We have so much planned for the future of our members and Run Zone Athletics Club. We as a club will assist, contribute and be involved with Comrades Marathon as much as possible. Run Zone Athletics Club Page is and always will be my heartbeat and my loyalty to our members is top of my life's goals and dreams next to God, my Wife and my Family. Thank You.' For the full job description and to apply, visit For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook , X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Citizen
The race is on: Comrades search for race director
ANN Ashworth, Graham Block, Rene Kalmer and Norrie Williamson are some of the names being touted on social media for the vacant position of Comrades Marathon race director, which is open for applications until Monday, July 21. The Ultra Marathon posted on their website and social media pages on Tuesday that they are searching for 'a highly experienced race director to manage the planning, co-ordination, and execution of the Comrades Marathon', sparking a frenzy of comments. A number of the commenters are calling on the requirements to include applicants being a race finisher or a Green Number holder. 'Make sure the race director is a runner,' commented Kosie Gericke. 'Then he or she would understand the needs and requirements of a race.' This request was supported by Sbonelo Ndlovu who said, 'Be comrades marathon finisher, please add to your requirements.' The comments were made in line with this year's controversial finish of the nearly 90km Down Run, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, which was at the roadside near People's Park. This was a first for Comrades and it sparked confusion and chaos among runners and spectators alike, bringing the stadia precinct to a standstill in traffic. Also Read: Organisers slam false reporting of deaths at Comrades Marathon It also resulted in runner M33485, Moira Harding, going missing after finishing the ultimate endurance race at 16:52 on Sunday, June 8. She was found on Mahatma Gandhi (formerly Point) Road in Durban on Monday morning and had to be airlifted to hospital. Harding, who was exhausted from running 89km, had walked further 7km to an arranged meeting point with her family. 'One of the requirements should be that the potential race director should be skilled at ensuring eliminating confusion at the end of the race to ensure that no one gets lost after the run,' weighed in Robert Shivambu on Facebook. Among the requirements of the vacancy is strategic management, event management, risk and safety management, stakeholder and community engagement, communications and media, essential competencies, post-event monitoring, evaluation and reporting. 'Be part of preserving the race's rich history while driving innovation, operational excellence, and an unforgettable participant experience,' read the advert. Also Read: VIDEO: Missing Comrades Marathon runner found near port The position was previously held by Alain Dalais who was appointed to the post of general manager of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) in January. He served as the acting race and operations manager since July 2024 following the dismissal of Ann Ashworth in June. Following numerous tags on the social media post, Graham Block responded: 'Oh Wow! I am both honoured and humbled all at the same. Thank you to everyone for believing in me. HUGELY APPRECIATED, Run Zone Athletics Club is my heartbeat and my life. We have so much planned for the future of our members and Run Zone Athletics Club. We as a club will assist, contribute and be involved with Comrades Marathon as much as possible. Run Zone Athletics Club Page is and always will be my heartbeat and my loyalty to our members is top of my life's goals and dreams next to God, my Wife and my Family. Thank You.' For the full job description and to apply, visit For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
TimesLIVE
15-06-2025
- TimesLIVE
Comrades runner Moira Harding's finish could easily have ended in tragedy, says Point resident
The Comrades Marathon Association insists this year's street finish is not related to Cape Town runner Moira Harding's disappearance but will review criticism about congestion and chaos outside People's Park in Durban. Harding, 54, was reported missing when her family couldn't find her after she finished the 89km ultra-marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban at 4.52pm last Sunday, sparking a wide-scale search by family, friends and police. The search continued well into the night and resumed in the early hours of Monday until her husband, Daryl was contacted at about 7am by authorities to say she had been found near the NSRI base on Point Road — 6.9km away — in 'a critical state'. ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said she was 'conscious but very confused from the cold and all that she went through'. Harding was airlifted to Umhlanga hospital and sedated for several days while doctors treated her for hypothermia. Police confirmed she was found with no visible injuries, something Ongezwa Sidumo who lives on Point road said could easily have ended tragically. 'The Point area, and the south beach area as a whole, is a dangerous place for anyone, but more so for a woman wandering by herself at night. It has long been known for its crimes such as robberies and kidnappings. I've also been a victim of robbery by the vagrants, but it's not only them committing crime, even seemingly normal people driving beautiful cars,' she said. 'There's also a lot of prostitution, and those girls can attack you if you're a woman they don't know and think you're working in their territory. The municipality has improved the area massively recently, and police visibility has increased massively, but the challenges can't be resolved overnight.' It is believed that Harding became disoriented after the run and, in the confusion of the finish, couldn't find her way to the meeting spot she had arranged with her family. She then wandered off and got lost. Gauteng surgical gastroenterologist and hepato-biliary surgeon Dr Avishkar Gurunand, who shares a keen interest in exercise, said there are dangers associated with over exertion for athletes who participate in an event like the Comrades Marathon, including cardiovascular pathology that may be symptomatic of the effects of prolonged exercise, electrolyte disturbances, muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) and dehydration. 'The human body is robust enough to handle significant physiological stress. The concern is that prolonged high-intensity activity can unmask underlying cardiovascular disease and, in rare circumstances, with fatal consequences.' 'These can be largely combated by adequate fluid intake and electrolyte replacement during the time of exercise and afterwards, but if unchecked, this can lead to renal failure, cardiac arrhythmias and a delirious state — all of which are medical emergencies, he added. Police said they would await a medical report that would determine the next course of action. According to media reports, Harding's sister, Fiona Baldwin, said she is recovering well in hospital and is awake and speaking. Baldwin slammed marathon organisers for the race's 'chaotic and poorly controlled ending'. She told reporters the chaos at the finish line may have played a role in Harding's disappearance. Unlike in previous years when the finish line down run was either the Moses Mabhida Stadium or the Kingsmead stadium, the 98th edition had a street finish line, ending at Masabalala Yengwa street near People's Park.
IOL News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- IOL News
Comrades Marathon Association condemns abuse towards Israeli runners
The Comrades Marathon Association has condemned verbal abuse aimed at Israeli runners during the recent event Image: Se-Anne Rall/IOL The Comrades Marathon Association has condemned incidents of abuse hurled at Israeli runners at Sunday's event. "Our mission is to host a safe and inclusive event for all participants. We regret any instances where individuals may have felt unsafe or targeted, regardless of nationality, race, religion or political affiliation," the CMA said. On Sunday, a group of pro-Palestine supporters held a peaceful demonstration in Sherwood, however when Israeli runners were making their way past the area, they were verbally attacked. The CMA said it does not condone any form of discrimination, harassment, or conduct that compromises the dignity or safety of any runner. תומכי חמאס מנסים להפריע לרצים ישראלים במרתון בדרום אפריקה. Hamas supporters try to disrupt Israeli runners at a marathon in South Africa. — יוסי שחבר (@yosishahbar) June 12, 2025 Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ "Further to this, we urge those engaging or commenting publicly to verify facts before circulating claims that are inaccurate or misleading," the CMA added. "The Comrades Marathon is a race, not a rally. The CMA is, and has always been, politically neutral, and we ask all participants, spectators, volunteers and partners to respect that position. Operational protocols, including those governing conduct along the route, are continuously reviewed to ensure alignment with our values and relevant legal frameworks," the CMA said. It said before and after Sunday's event, organisers met with various stakeholders and made it clear that the marathon is not a platform for partisanship. "The essence of the Comrades lies in its ability to connect people across divides – national, racial, religious and political – through a shared celebration of human perseverance and possibility. It is this legacy we are committed to protecting. We recognise that global events can shape individual experiences and perspectives, and we hold space for that, but our role is not to resolve international conflict – it is to provide a platform for unity through sport," the CMA stated. The South African Jewish Board has also condemned the incidents. "The harassment of these athletes exemplifies the anti-Israeli movement's unwanted and unconstitutional exploitation of public spaces to antagonise and intimidate those who challenge its narrow political bent. These theatrical displays do not contribute to improving or saving a single life in Gaza," said the SA Jewish Board of Deputies national director, Wendy Kahn. The athletes' inclusion in the annual race was slammed by the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL) in KwaZulu-Natal. IOL
