Latest news with #ComradesMarathonAssociation
TimesLIVE
6 days ago
- 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
The South African
12-06-2025
- Health
- The South African
Comrades Marathon: No deaths, avoid 'fake news'
There has been some widespread criticism of the chaotic, crowded and poorly controlled finish at the People's Park at the conclusion of Sunday's Comrades marathon. Understandably, there was also widespread concern over the wellbeing of runner Moira Harding, who went missing after the event and is being treated in hospital after eventually being found unresponsive on Monday morning. There have also been some rumours and reports of fatalities during the race, but these have been emphatically dismissed by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) in a statement released this week. 'It has been brought to the attention of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) that some digital media outlets or accounts are reporting two deaths during the 2025 edition of the race, which took place this past weekend (Sunday 8 June),' the statement read. 'The CMA and its medical team can confirm that no deaths have been recorded at the 2025 event.' CMA General Manager Alain Dalais warned against taking 'fake news' as fact. 'As can be expected from an event of this nature and size, there were some cases of runners being transferred to hospital from the route, for various medical reasons. The CMA medical, emergency, safety and health protocols are excellent, and focused on the safety of all runners. 'The CMA distances itself from any fake news or rumours doing the rounds, and suggests that our community rely on reputable sources for information – starting with our own channels,' he adds. Meanwhile, the latest update on the condition of Harding suggests she is still being treated in hospital for dehydration and hypothermia, and remains under sedation in order to allow her the best chance of a quick recovery. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
TimesLIVE
12-06-2025
- Health
- TimesLIVE
Comrades Marathon: 5 runners still in hospital 'are stable and recovering'
Twenty-five Comrades Marathon runners required in-hospital treatment after this year's race. Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) GM Alain Dalais said 440 people were treated in the medical tent in the finish area and 200 were sent to hospital for evaluation — 169 from along the route and 31 from the finish. Five were still hospitalised on Wednesday, including Capetonian Moira Harding, who went missing after the race and was found the next morning in a hypothermic condition in central Durban, about 7km from the finish. 'All these patients are stable and recovering and likely to be discharged in the next few days,' he said. While acknowledging some aspects of the race — particularly congestion in the finish area — need to be improved, Dalais praised the CMA medical team, saying their protocols were excellent and focused on ensuring athletes' safety. He confirmed no fatalities were recorded after this year's race, dismissing false rumours circulating online. The reassurance came amid heightened sensitivity after footage showing some runners crawling across the finish line and tragic incidents in previous years. In 2022, runners Phakamile Ntshiza and Mzameleni Mthembu died after taking part in the race. Before that, the last time multiple deaths occurred during a Comrades Marathon was in 2007. In 2019, Limpopo runner Sonnyboy Ngobeni died two days after the race. Comrades medical director Dr Jeremy Boulter clarified that Ngobeni's death was not included in the official tally as he had not been treated on race day and no link to the event could be medically confirmed. 'The statistic only takes into account deaths of runners treated or hospitalised on race day,' he said. Boulter noted that while it's often difficult to determine the exact cause of such deaths, most appear to be linked to cardiac arrest, often triggered by undiagnosed or underlying conditions or illness. He cautioned runners against participating while ill and advised avoiding medication during the race unless prescribed by a doctor. 'People mustn't run if they are unwell or had any illness in the past three weeks before the Comrades. If they feel they are running into trouble, they should pull out and catch a bus home instead of pushing through.' The race this year had 18,194 official finishers which was 86.75% of the runners who qualified to start the 89.98km course, slightly longer than last year's 87.70km. Dalais said organisers were reviewing the challenges experienced on race day and steps would be taken to improve on these aspects for next year's race and for the 2027 Down Run, which will be the 100th edition of the race. Criticism of the new street finish at People's Park in Durban for the 2025 race would be dealt with, he pledged. 'Congestion and dealing with the flow of people in the venue were particularly challenging in the last hour. This is one of the most important aspects of the race plan that we are looking at carefully and working to fix for next time. 'We are taking note of all the feedback and input from our runners — whether positive or negative — and adding this to the post-race debrief notes. We want to assure the running community we will implement changes and improvements to enhance the overall runner and spectator experience.'
The Citizen
12-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Comrades organisers to address ‘criticism and complaints'
A total of 19 runners were given a 30-minute time penalty for starting in the wrong group. Organisers of the Comrades Marathon have acknowledged some of the issues which arose during the annual ultra-distance race in KwaZulu-Natal last weekend. In what was essentially a dress rehearsal for the 100th edition of the race, to be held in 2027, the 'down' run between Pietermaritzburg and Durban attracted a record field of 20 972 starters, with 18 194 runners finishing the 90km race. On the positive side, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) said it was pleased with the decision to have two separate starts for the first time, which eased the congestion in the early stages of the race. Conversely, however, with the race finishing in the street (as opposed to a stadium venue) in Durban for the first time, organisers admitted they would need to make some changes in 2027 when they expected another record field. 'Congestion at the finish and dealing with the flow of people in the venue were particularly challenging in the last hour, although the event's safety and security teams attended to the bottleneck issue at the runners' exit area behind the finish line, and resolved it before any serious incidents could occur,' said CMA general manager Alain Dalais. False start There were some participants who were caught starting in group one when they were in the group two batch, giving them an extra 15 minutes to finish the race before the 12-hour cut-off. While they were not disqualified, they were given a time penalty. 'At the finish, all runners' race numbers were scanned to determine which medal they earned, and in the process 19 runners from group two were flagged for having started with group one,' the CMA said. 'After being interviewed by race officials, it was decided to penalise them with a 30-minute time penalty added to their finish times.' Meanwhile, it was confirmed there were no deaths during this year's race. While 440 athletes were admitted into the medical tent at the finish, only 25 runners were admitted to hospital, including Moira Harding, who was reported missing after the race and found the next morning after walking eight kilometres from the finish in a delirious state. 'All of these patients are stable and recovering, and are likely to be discharged in the next few days,' Dalais said. 'The Comrades race doctor (Jeremy Boulter) is closely monitoring their recovery and is in constant contact with the hospitals.' Elite refreshment stations One issue the CMA did not address was a bizarre situation which forced elite athletes to pick up their refreshments off the floor, with bottles being placed on the ground rather than tables, as is standard. After the race, gold medallist and former race winner Edward Mothibi said this had been a problem, and some elite runners had opted not to take their bottles in an attempt to avoid cramping by bending down to pick up their personal refreshments. However, the organisers said they would work on fixing multiple issues which had been raised by participants on social media, particularly around the congestion at the finish. 'We hear the criticism and complaints, particularly about the finish venue, management of flow in the venue, and security, and we want to assure the running community that we are taking this feedback seriously,' Dalais said. 'We will be implementing changes and improvements to enhance the overall runner and spectator experience, and of course, to improve on safety aspects as well.'
