Comrades Marathon Archives

EXPLORE AS MUCH OF THE COMRADES ROUTE AS YOU…

27 April 20245 August 2024
by Bruce Fordyce

The late and greatly missed Ian Emery once asked me why I was running very wide of the kerb on a bend near Drummond (halfway) while we were racing the Comrades Marathon.

“Bruce”, he panted, “you’ve been running the tangents so well in this race and yet suddenly you’re running wide. What’s up?”

Ian, by the way was a three-time gold medallist in our great race with a best place 4^th in 1985. He was knocked off his bike one awful morning and killed by a drunk motorist. I can’t believe that that sad day was more than 20 years ago.

Bruce Fordyce Comrades Route Tour

THE UP RUN

20 March 202420 March 2024
by Bruce Fordyce

With fewer than 100 sleeps to go until race day it is worth having a look at the challenge that faces runners on 9^th June this year.

Understandably many runners are reluctant to run the Comrades ‘up run’. It has a notorious reputation. The ‘up run’ is always the slower of the two races, and it boasts 5 arduous and infamous hills, culminating in the monster mountain, Polly Shortts. Runners must negotiate Polly Shortts after completing more than 80 kilometres, and this in full view of a prying television camera. Common sense and experience teach us that ascending is harder than descending. Running up hills is tough, running down them is so much more enjoyable, so the prospect of hours of climbing in an up Comrades can be daunting.

THE SPRINGBOK ENIGMA

20 November 202321 November 2023
by Bruce Fordyce

Photo – planetrugby.com

Perhaps the most astonishing revelation of the glorious and superhuman Springbok rugby world cup triumph a couple of weeks ago was that they were able to win three massive, and exhausting games in a row. (Albeit each by one agonising point.)

Eben Etzebeth is purported to have said “Why win by two points or more? It will look like we tried too hard.”

Read more “THE SPRINGBOK ENIGMA” →

Alan Robb

SOME SUPERSTITIONS DO WORK

4 June 202321 November 2023
by Bruce Fordyce

I’m not a superstitious person. I’ll walk under a ladder, and I’ll stroke a black cat that crosses my path. I hardly notice Friday 13^th and I would happily sit in seat in seat 13 on a plane if there was one. I eat the chicken on a wishbone, and I always forget to make a wish.

But I would never dare forget to greet Arthur Newton as I run past Arthur’s seat in the Comrades marathon.

Comrades Marathon

BITE-ABLE BITS AND CHEWABLE CHUNKS

27 May 202321 November 2023
by Bruce Fordyce

“Jissie dis ver” (Jeez it’s far) Zola Budd muttered under her breath as we ran shoulder to shoulder down the Berea. We were grinding our way through the last few kilometres of the 2012 Comrades marathon and both of us were hanging on desperately and counting down the last few kilometres to the finish at Kingsmead stadium.

“Vasbyt Zola” I replied, “ons is amper daar.” (Hang on Zola, we’re nearly there)

Bruce Fordyce Comrades After Party

KEEP MOVING FORWARD.

20 May 202321 November 2023
by Bruce Fordyce

I can still hear the late Don Oliver’s calming words delivered in his charming cockney accent.

“Don’t you worry Comrades novices you’re going to be alright. You’ve got Don Oliver’s pacing chart and his wise words to guide you home.”

How I miss him. For nearly 40 years Don, and fellow Rocky Road Runners coach Dennis “tombstones” Tabakin advised novices at monthly training panel discussions. I was often an invited guest speaker at these evening talks, and I was privileged to watch these two experts help hundreds of novices take their first tentative steps on their Comrades journeys. Then months later Don and Dennis would help them complete those journeys. The Rocky Novice panel talks were so popular that every talk was jam-packed, and even experienced runners and Comrades veterans attended.

Read more “KEEP MOVING FORWARD.” →

Comrades Marathon

CRAMPS-TRY RUNNING LIKE DAFFY DUCK

14 May 202321 November 2023
by Bruce Fordyce

Illustration by Daniel Yagman

“The reason you beat me in the ‘Comrades Marathon’, Bruce”, Hoseah Tjale once remarked, “Is that I start cramping with 10 kilometres to go in the race and you start cramping with 5 kilometres to go. While I’m fighting cramps in those critical few kilometres, you run away from me.”

Alan Robb

JUST GET ON WITH IT

6 May 202321 November 2023
by Bruce Fordyce

Glued into one of my old scrapbooks are some faded dog-eared newspaper articles of the 1978 Comrades marathon. That year I ran my second Comrades Marathon and my first down run. To be honest I kept these articles because my 14^th place finish meant my name appeared in those newspapers that published the first 20 finishers. Fame at last! One photograph in that scrapbook, however, always catches my eye. It’s a faded black and white photo of Alan Robb’s head poking out from above a shower door. Clearly, he is enjoying a shower in Durban’s famous Kingsmead stadium. Alan’s running vest is also captured in the photo. It dangles from a towel rack with Alan’s Comrades number, 1704 still pinned to it.

Read more “JUST GET ON WITH IT “ →

Bruce Fordyce Comrades After Party

I’M A CHEF

29 April 202321 November 2023
by Bruce Fordyce

Last Sunday’s epic 42nd running of the London Marathon reminded me that I once ran the London Marathon with Gordon Ramsay. Yes “Hell’s kitchens/Kitchen Nightmares/The F word” Gordon Ramsay.

For any astonished non-believing sceptics reading this article who doubt Ramsay’s ability to run a marathon, allow me to startle you further. Gordon Ramsay has completed 3 Comrades marathons between the years 2000 and 2004. His best time is 10:31 (up). For good measure he is also an Iron Man medallist. In language spiced with profanities he rated the Comrades as the toughest @#$& race he has ever run.

IF IT AIN’T BROKE DON’T FIX IT

22 April 202321 November 2023
by Bruce Fordyce

In 1972 a team of English runners from the famous athletics club, Tipton Harriers, in Staffordshire, arrived in Durban intent on sweeping all before them in that year’s Comrades marathon. They immediately caused a sensation when it was learnt that they were relying on a new revolutionary new carbohydrate loading regime called the Saltin diet to boost their chances, and that they had held striptease shows back at home to help raise funds for their trip. Back then in conservative “verkramp” South Africa this was scandalous behaviour.

Tag: <span>Comrades Marathon</span>