More than 1 000 athletes withdraw from Comrades Marathon

More than 1 000 athletes have officially withdrawn from this year’s Comrades Marathon, due to take place on June 10.

Comrades Marathon Association spokesperson Delaine Cools says this means there is still time for runners to participate in the iconic race by applying as substitute entrants.

Meanwhile, Provincial Sports and Recreation MEC Bongi Sithole-Moloi has encouraged people in rural areas to form athletic clubs.

She was addressing runners at a 10km race in Nquthu in Northern KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday.

She says she hopes the race will entice the youth to participate in international races like the Comrades and the Nelson Mandela marathons.

“That’s why we are doing these small races in these different districts, it is because we wanted to uproot that talent and tell those young ones go there and participate. We want to see in the future people from the North of Zululand and Midlands participating and winning the Comrades Marathon and this is not the only international race that we have in the province. We also host the Nelson Mandela Marathon; we are saying they should also participate in that race.”