Latest news with #Comrades2025
The Citizen
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Comrades marathon 2025 — LIVE UPDATES
It is the world's biggest ultra-marathon and this year takes runners from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. It's the 98th edition of the Comrades ultra-marathon on Sunday, 8 June. This year it's a Down run, taking runners from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, on a route of just about 90km. A little more than 22,000 runners entered the race. Piet Wiersma and Gerda Steyn are the defending champions, having won last year's Up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. This year's race will for the first time have two starts — at 5.45am and 6am, to assist with flow in the early stages in the narrow streets of Pietermaritzburg. All runners will still have 12 hours to complete the route. Follow the live action here of Comrades 2025 Latest posts will appear below. Please refresh for the latest news.
The Citizen
3 days ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
BLOGGING THE VIEW: Everything you need to know about the Comrades Marathon 2025
BLOGGING THE VIEW: Everything you need to know about the Comrades Marathon 2025 THE Comrades Marathon, dubbed the 'Ultimate Human Race', returns for its 98th edition this Sunday, 8 June. This iconic ultramarathon will follow the down run route, starting from Pietermaritzburg City Hall and concluding at Durban's People's Park. Fast Facts about Comrades 2025 1. Route The 2025 down run spans 89.98km, descending from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. The course includes notable landmarks such as Polly Shortts, Umlaas Road, Cato Ridge, Drummond (halfway point), Inchanga and Fields Hill. ALSO READ: 10 fun facts about the Comrades Marathon 2. Cut-off points To ensure runner safety and race integrity, specific cut-off times are enforced at various points along the route: · Cato Ridge (30.5km): 5:10:00 race time (11.10am) · Drummond (45km): 6:40:00 race time (12.40pm) · Winston Park (58.3km): 8:30:00 race time (2.30pm) · Pinetown (69.1km): 10:05:00 race time (4.05pm) · 45th Cutting (81.5km): 11:30:00 race time (5.30pm) · Finish (89.98km): 12:00:00 race time (6pm) 3. Qualification and entry Being such a gruelling race – almost double the traditional marathon length – Comrades has strict qualifying criteria to ensure the safety of all. This includes: · Qualifying period: 10 June 2024 to 5 May 2025 · Minimum age: 20 years · Qualifying criteria: Completion of an officially recognised standard marathon (42.2km) in under 4 hours and 50 minutes during the qualifying period. ALSO READ: Comrades Marathon 2025: Road closures and travel alerts for Zululand residents 4. Medal categories Completing the Comrades Marathon is an amazing accomplishment, and all race finishers will receive a medal based on their completion time. The categories include: · Gold: Top 10 finishers (men and women) · Wally Hayward: Men finishing 11th place to sub-6:00 · Isavel Roche-Kelly: Women finishing 11th place to sub-7:00 · Silver: Men finishing sub-7:30; women from 2024 onward · Bill Rowan: 7:30 to sub-9:00 · Robert Mtshali: 9:00 to sub-10:00 · Bronze: 10:00 to sub-11:00 · Vic Clapham: 11:00 to sub-12:00 · Back-to-Back: Awarded to novices who complete their second consecutive Comrades Marathon 5. Traditions and highlights With almost a century of history, the Comrades Marathon has a number of interesting race rituals and traditions that are followed. These include: · Start rituals: The race gets going with the South African national anthem, followed by Shosholoza, Chariots of Fire and Max Trimborn's iconic rooster crow. · Arthur's Seat: Located near Drummond (halfway point), runners often place flowers here as they believe it brings good luck for the remainder of the race. · Finish line: A 12-hour gun signals the official end of the race, followed by the Last Post to honour those who didn't finish in time. Support the runners along the Comrades route or from your couch this Sunday! Don't have the ZO app? Download it to your Android or Apple device here: HAVE YOUR SAY Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter. For news straight to your phone invite us: WhatsApp – 060 784 2695 Instagram – zululand_observer At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
7 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Take note of the Comrades 2025 road closures
Take note of the Comrades 2025 road closures THE prestigious and gruelling Comarades Marathon this Sunday, June 8 is a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. The 98th ultimate human race will result in several road closures from Cato Ridge to the Durban CBD. The race is expected to draw tens of thousands of runners, spectators, and visitors to the city. Also read: Upper Highway resident to complete her 23rd Comrades To assist the public plan their route on time, the eThekwini Municipality has advised of road closures on the day. The City said road closures along the Comrades Marathon route will be in effect for the whole day. The public is urged to note the following road closures on Sunday: – Cato Ridge Town Area – Eddie Hagan Road (Cato Ridge) – Thousand Hills Drive (Halfway) – Alverstone Road – Kassier Road – Inanda Road – Winston Park – Everton Road – M13 West Bound – Kloof Old Main Road – Bottom of Fields Hill – St Johns Avenue – Otto Volek Road – Josiah Gumede Road – King Cetshwayo Highway – 45th Cutting – Sherwood on ramp – N3 East Bound – N3 (David Webster Street and Bram Fischer Road) – Corner of Samora Machel Street and Masabalala Yengwa Avenue (City Bound) – Sandile Thusi Road (North Bound and South Bound lanes). The City advised that the closure of Masabalala Yengwa Avenue south and north from Isaiah Ntshangase Road to Sandile Thusi Road will be effective from Thursday, June 5 until Tuesday, June 10 to allow for the setup and break down of structures. The municipality also requests residents to support the marathon by keeping their surroundings clean, cheering for runners, and showing the warmth and hospitality Durban is known for. 'The Cleansing and Solid Waste unit will be cleaning the eThekwini boundary from Cato Ridge to the Moses Mabhida Stadium People's Park ensuring that all waste is collected, and the route remains litter-free after the race. 'Waste receptacles will be strategically placed along the route to encourage responsible disposal from the spectators.' 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
7 days ago
- General
- The Citizen
Plan ahead – here's where roads will close for Comrades 2025
Plan ahead – here's where roads will close for Comrades 2025 THE prestigious and gruelling Comarades Marathon this Sunday, June 8 is a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. The 98th ultimate human race will result in several road closures from Cato Ridge to the Durban CBD. The race is expected to draw tens of thousands of runners, spectators, and visitors to the city. Also read: Upper Highway resident to complete her 23rd Comrades To assist the public plan their route on time, the eThekwini Municipality has advised of road closures on the day. The City said road closures along the Comrades Marathon route will be in effect for the whole day. The public is urged to note the following road closures on Sunday: – Cato Ridge Town Area – Eddie Hagan Road (Cato Ridge) – Thousand Hills Drive (Halfway) – Alverstone Road – Kassier Road – Inanda Road – Winston Park – Everton Road – M13 West Bound – Kloof Old Main Road – Bottom of Fields Hill – St Johns Avenue – Otto Volek Road – Josiah Gumede Road – King Cetshwayo Highway – 45th Cutting – Sherwood on ramp – N3 East Bound – N3 (David Webster Street and Bram Fischer Road) – Corner of Samora Machel Street and Masabalala Yengwa Avenue (City Bound) – Sandile Thusi Road (North Bound and South Bound lanes). The City advised that the closure of Masabalala Yengwa Avenue south and north from Isaiah Ntshangase Road to Sandile Thusi Road will be effective from Thursday, June 5 until Tuesday, June 10 to allow for the setup and break down of structures. The municipality also requests residents to support the marathon by keeping their surroundings clean, cheering for runners, and showing the warmth and hospitality Durban is known for. 'The Cleansing and Solid Waste unit will be cleaning the eThekwini boundary from Cato Ridge to the Moses Mabhida Stadium People's Park ensuring that all waste is collected, and the route remains litter-free after the race. 'Waste receptacles will be strategically placed along the route to encourage responsible disposal from the spectators.' 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!
