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32 Drsep-Dec01 Comrades

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32 Drsep-Dec01 Comrades MEN: 1 Andrew KEHELE RSA 5:25:51 2 Leonid SHVETSOV RUS 5:26:28 3 Vladimir KOTOV BLR 5:27:21 Comrades 4 Alexey VOLGIN RUS 5:27:40 5 Fusi NHLAPO RSA 5:30:38 6 Grigory MURZIN RUS 5:32:59 7 Dmitry GRISHIN RUS 5:36:04 8 Sarel ACKERMANN RSA 5:36:50 at last 9 Walter NKOSI RSA 5:38:15 10 Michael MPOTOANE RSA 5:38:43 Comrades Marathon, South Africa, 16 June 2001 June 16, Youth Day, is a The author, BLANCHE MOILA, was the first probably the best thing I have special day in South Africa. It ever done in my life. Nothing black woman to win national (Springbok) could have prepared me for the commemorates the day in colours for athletics, back in apartheid 1976 on which the black overwhelming feeling of days. She has won national titles on youth of Soweto lost lives anticipation and excitement as I the road and cross-country. Her stood on the start line. The spirit protesting against the personal best times include 4:34 and cameradie of the race, and education policies of the then the ecstasy of crossing the finish apartheid government. (1500m), 75:00 (half marathon) and 2:41 (marathon). line was like nothing I had experienced before. On the same day another She beat Zola Budd to the title of special and unique event takes South African Sportswoman of the More and more international place in Kwazulu-Natal: the runners are taking part in this Comrades Marathon - the Year in 1985, and earlier this year ‘True Test of the Human Spirit’. ‘mother’ of all ultras. This year in particular, all South received the State Africans were given a reason to The undulating point to point President’s award route between Durban and celebrate with Andrew Kelehe’s Pietermaritzburg alternates for services to win over a competitive direction each year, and the athletics and international field. community service distance of 89kms challenges the Andrew became only the most dedicated of runners to among the poor. She second black runner after Sam make it to the finish within the 11 is a columnist for the Tshabalala to win this prestigious hour cut-off time. monthly magazine race. The former top ten finisher Few events on the South “Running Free”. surpassed even his own African sporting calendar attract expectations and came within a as much interest as the Comrades minute of breaking the course Marathon. Year after year it unites watched by almost the entire The Comrades Marathon record of Comrades great, Bruce friends, family and the South population of the country, some Association each year nominates Fordyce, nine times winner of the African public, irrespective of their of whom take up the challenge four charity organisations as race. diverse cultural backgrounds, the following year aspiring to be beneficiaries. This year was the I would like even more South from the unemployed to the one of the thousands of turn of The Cancer Associations Africans to run the Comrades company executive. Comrades heroes. of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, South African Nature Marathon. This is one day each The race was first run in 1921 If there is one great leveller in Conservation and The Sports year when all South Africans are in memory of the soldiers that South African road running, then Trust of South Africa. united in the spirit of the race. it is Comrades. The 11 hours of died in the First World War. People from all walks of life come live television coverage is Formerly held on National Day, Money was also raised through together to achieve their goals; 31 May, the date lost significance the sale of charity beads. for most it is simply to arrive at with the dismantling of Everyone, runners and non- their final destination - the finish apartheid. runners alike, were invited to buy line - before the dreaded sound Black runners had been a coloured bead which of a gun shot signals the official allowed to participate from 1975, represented a different charity end of the race. and with a deft twist the new date organisation, and to wear it on was determined to commemorate the day. The beads were made by the youth that lost their lives local communities, providing protesting against the old regime. some income to the unemployed in the area. Once Springbok colours became available for all, people There is a culture in South from all races were brought African running: if you have not run the Comrades Marathon, Uphill... together in striving towards the same goal: to represent their then you are not a runner. I country. regarded myself as an athlete, participating in distances from In a mass race like Comrades, 10kms to the marathon. the aspirations of most runners may be different but they come I never had any intention of together in a common struggle. running this gruelling race over Such a spirit attracts increasing such an unnatural distance. But numbers: this year there were in Kwazulu-Natal, through which over 15000 entries. the race is run, Comrades is all. As a nursing sister in local The number of female communities, and a runner, I participants has also increased found myself constantly badgered with a record 4000 last year in the to take up the challenge. millennium race, when the cut off time was extended to a once-off I gave in, and in 2000 I ran for ...and down dale 12 hours. charity – but also for myself. It is Andrew Kelehe’s home run 32 Distance Running SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2001 WOMEN: 1 Elvira KOLPAKOVA RUS 6:13:53 2 Deb MATTHEUS USA 6:23:04 3 Marina BYCHKOVA RUS 6:24:20 4 Maria BAK GER 6:25:48 5 Maria VENANCIO BRA 6:39:03 6 Carol MERCER RSA 6:40:59 7 Grace DE OLIVEIRA RSA 6:41:04 8 Renee SCOTT RSA 6:54:57 9 Valentina SHATYAYEVA RUS 6:57:05 10 Madeleen OTTO RSA 7:01:14 Among the women, Russia’s come alive 20 minutes later, but A Mafiking Elvira Kolpakova scored an upset it proved too late. victory over the German favourite, victory Maria Bak. With 17km to go, up the winding, tree-lined road of the Some cautious manoeuvring last big climb, Shvetsov hit the From Riel Haumann early on in the men’s race led to front. frequent changes of the lead, but no-one among the favourites Kehele, hardly up to the Andrew Kehele, a 36-year old made any decisive move until powerful Russian’s shoulder, was policeman from Mafiking, Fusi Nhlapo threw in a 3-minute right alongside – and soon went became the first South kilometre 3:43 into the race. clear with kilometres of 3:18 and African to win Comrades 3:16. Shvetsev had no reply, and Leonid Shvetsov had been Kotov closed the gap no further. since 1997 by recording the keeping a wary eye on the second fastest ever ‘down’ run changing lead, and responded to The last few bone-jarring from Pietermartizburg to the move. With Kehele alongside kilometres into Durban perhaps Helping hands along the way Durban. him, he moved past previous told hardest on Willie Mtolo, leader Michael Mpotoane. runner-up 12 long years ago, who Kehele was greeted by scenes kilometres but stayed 37 seconds had shadowed Kotov for most of clear of Shvetsov. A record four of great joy in the final kilometres Last year’s winner Vladimir the race. as he broke the domination Kotov, following his customary runners broke 5:30. 11,079 foreign runners had established race schedule, languished some Everyone slowed: Kehele took runners finished within the 11- over the race. distance behind. Kotov started to 11:30 for the final three hour limit. SEPTEMBER - DECEMBER 2001 Distance Running 33.
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