Comrades Marathon Association chairperson Mqondisi Ngcobo says they are overwhelmed by the rate of entries for the ultra-marathon which will be on August 28.
Entries opened on Wednesday, and passionate road runners wasted no time in filling in their applications forms and paying various entry fees. In the first hour of entries opening, more than 4,000 people had submitted their forms online and by the end of the day, the number had gone up to 7,000.
The response from the public over the marathon's return after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic moved Ngcobo.
"It has been very overwhelming, we're quite excited, we're pleased by the support and excitement shown by the runners," said Ngcobo.
"In the first hour of Wednesday, we got about 4,400 entries completed. It was quite a surprise to us because many marathons are struggling to get numbers. When we closed at night we were sitting on 7,000 entries," he said.
With the numbers of entries they have drawn so far, Ngcobo applauded the Comrades Marathon's staying power and being relevant in an era where some sporting events have either lost momentum or perished.
"It says that the brand is still strong and is among the strongest brands out there. It's a 100-year-old brand, it continues to grow, not only in number but in stature and worldwide appeal," said Ngcobo.
"We will be analysing the numbers on the demographics of entrants that have entered. We're excited, it shows that the two-year hiatus due to Covid -19 didn't affect the brand. It may have affected the sport in terms of sponsors and entries," he said.
After President Cyril Ramaphosa announced lesser restrictions around the fight against Covid-19, the CMA revaluated its stance when it came to Covid-19 vaccination requirements.
Ngcobo shared what they have decided: "Unvaccinated runners can enter our race only if they submitted a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours before the race day. This is a condition to try and ease the Covid-19 requirements.
"CMA will continue to comply with government regulations, applicable at all times, in order to safeguard the health and safety of runners, supporters, officials and the public at large," said Ngcobo.
CMA is targeting 15,000 runners by the end of the month but, if there are still entries available, the closing date will be April 20. Each entry costs R1,200.
Thousands grab Comrades entries on opening day
Organisers overwhelmed by response from runners
Image: Darren Stewart
Comrades Marathon Association chairperson Mqondisi Ngcobo says they are overwhelmed by the rate of entries for the ultra-marathon which will be on August 28.
Entries opened on Wednesday, and passionate road runners wasted no time in filling in their applications forms and paying various entry fees. In the first hour of entries opening, more than 4,000 people had submitted their forms online and by the end of the day, the number had gone up to 7,000.
The response from the public over the marathon's return after a two-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic moved Ngcobo.
"It has been very overwhelming, we're quite excited, we're pleased by the support and excitement shown by the runners," said Ngcobo.
"In the first hour of Wednesday, we got about 4,400 entries completed. It was quite a surprise to us because many marathons are struggling to get numbers. When we closed at night we were sitting on 7,000 entries," he said.
With the numbers of entries they have drawn so far, Ngcobo applauded the Comrades Marathon's staying power and being relevant in an era where some sporting events have either lost momentum or perished.
"It says that the brand is still strong and is among the strongest brands out there. It's a 100-year-old brand, it continues to grow, not only in number but in stature and worldwide appeal," said Ngcobo.
"We will be analysing the numbers on the demographics of entrants that have entered. We're excited, it shows that the two-year hiatus due to Covid -19 didn't affect the brand. It may have affected the sport in terms of sponsors and entries," he said.
After President Cyril Ramaphosa announced lesser restrictions around the fight against Covid-19, the CMA revaluated its stance when it came to Covid-19 vaccination requirements.
Ngcobo shared what they have decided: "Unvaccinated runners can enter our race only if they submitted a negative Covid-19 test 72 hours before the race day. This is a condition to try and ease the Covid-19 requirements.
"CMA will continue to comply with government regulations, applicable at all times, in order to safeguard the health and safety of runners, supporters, officials and the public at large," said Ngcobo.
CMA is targeting 15,000 runners by the end of the month but, if there are still entries available, the closing date will be April 20. Each entry costs R1,200.
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