25 Comrades Marathon runners disqualified for cheating

Twenty-five Comrades Marathon runners have been disqualified from this year’s race for cheating on their qualifying times.

The Comrades Marathon Association says the athletes from clubs around the country, will also be suspended from the race for the next two years.

CMA race director Rowyn James says in a statement that the organisers wouldn’t tolerate cheating in any form and that it was incumbent upon every athlete to honour the ethical code and ethos of the sport.

Entrants for this year’s race had until May 2 to submit their qualifying times.

All participants are required to run a standard marathon of 42.2 kilometres in 4 hours 50 minutes. The race sets off in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday morning at 05:30 and finishes 12 hours later in Durban.