Just received from the Comrades Marathon Press office, a detailed explanation of why they have decided to roll out two starts instead of the traditional mass start.
Background to the changes:
Why was it necessary for the Comrades Marathon Organisers to make a change from the single start version of the past 100 year’s?
Two things drive the 2025 Comrades Marathon organisers: Improved Safety and Improved Runners’ Experience. The decision on the 2025 race is taken with the view of improving both of the above. There were numerous safety issues and concerns raised by runners regarding the Start of the 2023 Down Run (which had ‘only’ 16 000-odd starters), such as batch-jumping, runners jumping/climbing over the fencing, pushing and shoving, and the very real risk of runners being trampled and/or crushed.
In 2025, we will have the largest ever field of Down Run starters (expected circa 22 000 starters) in the history of the Comrades Marathon, and as responsible organisers we have a duty to ensure that the safety of all participants is our top priority. The splitting of the Start into 2 Groups will assist in addressing the safety issues experienced at the Start in 2023 in a practical way, whilst still retaining all of the Comrades Traditions. It is the belief that the split of the field into two controlled starts will not only improve safety but have runners experiencing the sort of free open road running of the races in the 1990s and early 2000s. The last runners in each Start group are expected to cross the Start line in under five minutes, most far quicker than that.
The choice of this option will effectively mean the hosting of Two Full Comrades races, each with their own vibe of the traditional Comrades start, their own traditional medal cut offs and the excitement and emotion of the overall 12-hour gun. Two races just 15 minutes apart on one day!
The only route cut offs are after the second group and are designed solely to allow for opening of the roads when clean and safe to do so.
Why don’t you just look at batch starts?
The CMA has opted for two starts instead of batch starts to preserve the Comrades Marathon’s ‘gun-to-mat’ tradition, to enhance the overall race experience, and to ensure a smoother, safer, and more efficient event. The two starts help manage the flow of runners and reduce congestion on the course (specifically at Polly Shortt’s on a Down Run), providing more space and allowing runners to maintain their pace more comfortably. Safety is not only about the space allocated to runners, but also the accessibility of medical assistance, and evacuation of runners in the tightest parts of the route.
This approach also reflects the CMA’s commitment to continuously improving safety measures and the overall race experience for participants. The two Starts may be considered as Two Comrades races, each of around 12 000 runners held on the same day, with 15 minutes between the Start times.
In effect, it is little difference to a two-batch start, except that the 15 minutes allows each event to experience the vibe of the traditional start build up. It was felt that, for this year, any multiple batch option with 3 minutes between would have curtailed that build up.
Also 12 000, (as we have 24 000 entries), is calculated to be the maximum safe number to enable reasonable running at the tightest parts of the route and will provide a much better runner experience.
Expected Benefits:
This plan will result in a much-improved runner experience than recent years:
- Less crowding at the start;
- The last runner in each start will take only about 5 minutes to cross the line, compared to everyone from around 4-hour seeding previously taking 8 to 9 minutes to get started, and reducing their running time to the cutoff;
- The Green and Charity runners now have a totally open road ahead of them when Start Group 2 commences;
- Runners will have more space around them and therefore be able to run their own race rather than being dictated to by overcrowded roads;
- Fewer runners per minute means greater ability for runners to be spotted by their supporters. In effect it means fewer runners per minute at any point in the route, and with the race being extended by 15 minutes, it allows for better passage and reduced access time for any medical situation that may arise on the road, which has been a potential risk in previous years;
- It will result in better flow and service through refreshment stations; and
- With less crowded roads every runner experiences the possibility of faster times.
Were Comrades runners consulted?
The decision to introduce two starts for the 2025 Comrades Marathon was made after extensive consultation with experts and thorough behind-the-scenes work. The CMA explored various race start options at great length through their Race Advisory Committee (RAC) which is comprised of Comrades Marathon runners, technical officials and race organisers. The likes of Barry Holland, Willie Mtolo, and Nick Bester were consulted and serve on the RAC. The entire Comrades Marathon Board are all Comrades Marathon runners.
What is the reason behind the 05:45 and 06:00 starts as opposed to the traditional 05:30 start?
The decision to have the 05:45 start is purely related to safety. The fact is that civil twilight in June 2025 is 06:20, and sunrise is at 06:50 on Race Day. There are no streetlights on Polly Shortt’s, the road has several twists, is steep, uneven in places, narrow in width, and has some speed humps. By the time the greater number of Start group 1 runners get to the top of Polly Shortt’s it will be twilight, which will mean safer running conditions, and will also allow medical personnel to see any person requiring assistance on that narrow part of the Route. It will be official daylight for virtually all Start Group 2 runners, which is where the major number of runners per minute are expected.
In short, the decision was between running on Polly Shortt’s in darkness with a congested field, or running the final 10km’s of the race into Durban in darkness i.e. from Westwood / 45th Cutting to the Finish. The fact is that the final 10km’s in Durban already has streetlights the entire way, the roads are wider, smoother and there will be fewer runners per minute over that section. Safety is the primary concern. To that end the Event Safety and Security Planning Committee (ESSPC) will allocate resources specifically for the final 10 km. There is no difference in total sunlight for the affected 11-12 hours runners as they start in the dark and finish in the dark, the difference is simply that for the 2025 Comrades Marathon the second (Final) finish will be at 18:00. Those who support tradition will know that from the mid 1920s until 2003 the race started at 06:00 which is exactly what Start group 2 will do in 2025.
Was a 05:15 start considered?
Yes, it was considered but the issue of darkness (as described above) precluded the decision of an earlier start. Due to the 15 minutes later Start time (i.e. Group 1 Start at 05:45 and Group 2 at 06:00) for each of the 2 Groups, runners will have adequate daylight through Polly Shortt’s. This ensures substantially safer running conditions.
How will seeding be managed?
Group 1 runners and Group 2 runners will have a different colour block on their race numbers (i.e. Group 1 as the Purple Group and Group 2 as the Orange Group). At the Start and Finish, runners will be allocated to different pens/chutes in accordance with their Group colour code.
The 2-group Start will allow both groups 12 hours to finish the race, commencing from the start of each gun that is fired at the Start. Runners will not be compromised in any way in having 12 hours to finish.
The exact numbers in each Start group will depend on the final number of runners qualified and registered by 5 May 2025. The allocation will be based purely on qualifying and predicted finish times of the runners. Seeding will still apply within the respective Start groups insofar as your seeding will determine how far forward you are in your Start group. Which seeding corrals a runner will be allocated will however be finalised and released shortly after 5 May 2025, as it’s only then that we will know exactly how many people have qualified and their qualification times.
Seeding in each Start group:
Each Start will still be sub-divided into manageable corrals expected to be around 1 500 to 2 000 runners, to improve safety and control as they move forward. As stated above, these groups will be determined on the final qualification information submitted; such that runners of similar ability are together, with faster runners to the front and slower runners towards the rear of each Start group.
As with previous years the front area of the Group 1 start will be used for all runners who are elite and in contention for any of the awards, including team awards. Criteria will be announced for runners wishing to apply to be in this group, and all runners can apply and show reason to be considered for inclusion in this corral. More details on gaining accreditation for the front area of Start group 1 will be announced soon.
Which Start group? 1 or 2?
The allocation of Start groups is based on around 55% of runners being allocated to Start Group 1 and 45% to Start Group 2. The qualification and predicted finish time can only be finalised after 5 May 2025, when all runners race information has been finalised and the total number of potential starters are determined. That said, as a guideline, runners with qualification under 4hours are expected to be in Group 1 Start and those with qualification over 4 hours 30 minutes are expected to be in the Group 2 Start. Runners qualifying between these times can only be allocated after 5 May 2025. Additional guidelines and recommendations will be provided as early as possible. Runners as always are recommended to provide their best performance as their submitted qualification time, as this will place them with runners of similar ability.
What is the criterion for Elite athletes and Contenders, and where will they start the race?
Any runner who believes they can compete for any of the available awards, must apply to be in Start Group 1 and will be in the very first corral of that Start.
This will include those competing for Gold top 10, Age groups, Pro Teams, and Club Gunga Din; and even the Youngest and Oldest finishers. This is to ensure that they are competing directly against each other without any unfair advantage, i.e. running the exact same distance. The criteria for this will be announced shortly.
In which group will Green Number Club runners and Race4Charity runners start?
The Green Number Club runners and Race4Charity runners will be allocated to the first section of the Group 2 Start. The rest of Group 2 will include runners with slower qualification times.
Are there added safety plans in place for the Start?
Yes. Runners in the Group 2 Start will be brought into the Start area after the last Group 1 runner has crossed the Start line and left the Start area. We have ensured that we have a substantially increased number of additional security officers, additional marshals, additional technical officials, additional mobile flood lights, and additional crowd control fencing in place to ensure safer crowd control of the runners; as well as to ensure a smooth movement of runners for the 2 Group Starts. These groups will be kept to between 1 000 -2 000 in size to make the movement to the start more controllable. Runners will be allowed to move back to Group 2 Start if they arrive late, or to run with another slower seeded runner. Runners cannot move up from the Group 2 Start to the Group 1 Start.
Will Group 2 starters miss out on the Comrades Start traditions?
Not at all. The well-loved Comrades Marathon traditions such as the singing of the National Anthem and Shosholoza, the playing of Chariots of Fire, and Max Trimborn’s iconic Cock-crow will apply to both Start Groups’ traditional proceedings, in the sense that both Start groups will hear and see all of the above, not that it will have to be repeated for Start Group 2. They will be there.
When will Group 2 start runners catch Group 1 start runners?
This could be the subject of a sweepstake! Highly unlikely.
The theory says that if all the runners in Start Group 1 are faster than the runners in Start Group 2 they will never make up the 15-minute distance, but of course runners could have a ‘bad day in the office’, runners do get injured and sick as well as fatigued; so some from Start Group 1 will slow down. Similarly for runners who had a bad, or below normal standard qualification time may well be faster on race day than their prediction, and they will benefit from the open road ahead; so there will be some overlap as the race unfolds. This is however expected to be minimal, which means more free running for all. The 2025 Comrades Marathon will also be followed closely to look at how these changes can be used to safely increase the down run field for our special 100th running of the race in 2027.
What safety measures are in place for the dark early morning hours?
As an additional safety precaution, we will have medics stationed on motorbikes / quadbikes from the commencement of Polly Shortt’s, at the bottom of Polly’s, top of Polly’s, and in Ashburton.
What is the plan for the cutoff points?
The cutoff points on the Route have been approved, however the specific cutoff times and Route Map can only be shared in April, once the final route Course Measurement is concluded in late March (mainly due to ongoing roadworks). The CMA’s intention is that no Comrades runners are denied their medal by in-race cutoffs in 2025, meaning that the in-race cutoffs will be set in such a way that if you are not able to make a cutoff by the required time it will be impossible to get to the finish line in 12 hours.
How will the finish line be managed with two groups of starters?
Finish chutes for each Group at the Finish will be setup with the two colour-separated Group zones (i.e. Purple Zone and Orange Zone). Volunteer “Spotters” and signage will ensure that runners move down into the correct colour Finish line chute.
A special Sound will be played at the Finish for the Group 1 race end at 12 hours (17:45), and the traditional Final cutoff gun will be fired by the Board Chairperson for the Group 2 (and total) race end after 12 hours (18:00).
Will both groups have 12 hours to complete the race?
Absolutely. Group 1 (with their specific colour bibs) will finish at 17:45. Group 2 (with their specific colour bibs) will finish at 18:00. Both groups have 12 hours in which to complete the race.
How will the medal distribution take place?
Although there will be two clearly marked, wide finish chutes of around 6m each, additional marshals and new large signage to guide runners into the appropriate Finish; new technology is being employed to ensure that runners will earn the medals relevant to their Start group, (even if they finish on the incorrect side at the Finish line). More precise details of the Finish will be provided soon, but expect this to impact positively on the quality and standard of photos of the medal presentation, as there will be less congestion.
The volunteers handing out the medals will be trained well in advance of race day and these dry-runs will ensure that volunteers hand out the correct medals to the correct runners on race day.
Why is the finish venue not inside Moses Mabhida Stadium, considering the larger number of participants?
The CMA opted for a street finish outside People’s Park on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue instead of a stadium finish, as it allows for easier access for spectators, family, and friends who come to support the runners. It creates a more inclusive and celebratory atmosphere as more people can gather to cheer on the participants. Street finishes are more flexible in terms of space and setup. It allows for better management of the flow of runners and spectators, reducing congestion and ensuring a smoother finish experience.
Are there added safety plans in place for the Finish?
The last 10km’s of the Route will be well lit by existing streetlights in Durban, as well as a large quantity of generator-powered mobile floodlight masts provided by the CMA from Westwood/45th Cutting to the Finish precinct on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue; as well as at all parking areas, all sidewalks and side streets to Jacko Jackson Drive (outside Kings Park Rugby Stadium).
A very large, additional security reaction response team will be in place in all the aforementioned areas until late in the evening on Sunday 8 June i.e. for many hours post the end of the race. This special security response team will work with the Finish venue security teams and the SAPS as a specific response to the petty crime experienced in previous years.
