2012

2011 taught me a lesson about Ultra Marathon running......it is not as easy as it seems. I finished the 2010 Marathon des Sables in Morocco in 72 hours, and I thought that if I can run 250km across the desert that I would be able to manage 82km on a paved road, with as much water as I would like, surrounded by close on 20 000 other runners, and thousands more next to the road cheering on runners, pushing them on between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

I am not looking for excuses, but my Comrades Marathon race was over before I even crossed the starting line. A torn hip-flexor muscle that I picked up on the 16th April 2011 sealed my fate, even though I resisted the pain, the advise of a specialist, friends and event he running great, Zola Budd. I went into that race with such high hopes, believe that I can run a the distance under 11 hours, make everyone proud that have supported me through the the MDS, and my charity foundation, the Ernie Els for Autism Foundation. After 65km of running, I pulled out of the 2011 Comrades Marathon due to a badly injured hip-flexor. I got into a sweeper van, with tears in my eyes and a heavy heart, vowing never to run this God forsaken run again. Ever.

Now I am back. Back for the down run. With the believe that I will complete this race, the race of races, The Comrades Marathon.

Bring it. I will be ready.

Day 1 in Durban

Arrived in Durban today after an 8 hour flight from the UAE. I have expected the weather to be cool but it has been much colder than what I anticipated with overcast conditions and rain. On the way to Umhlagana I turned the radio on, and the local radio station was interviewing Bruce Fordyce. According to Fordyce the forcast for Sunday will be clear skes and 21 degrees with some cloud cover in the afternoon. So I am hopeful the weather will be improving over the next couple of days! Going to the Comrades Expo tomorrow, hope to pick up some cool gear.

The Human Race - 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. For the longest time this race has been on my bucket list, so, in 74 days I am hoping to tick that box and look for the next big adventure!