Virtual Comrades race “Race the Comrades Legends” run in Secunda
The popular Comrades marathon has been cancelled due to the Corona Virus pandemic!
But not really!
Runners can now compare their times against the runners in a race that is called Race the Comrades Legends. This race is run today 14 June.
The Comrades website wrote the following:
Following the regrettable cancellation of the 2020 Comrades Marathon, we have created the virtual running event: Race the Comrades Legends.
Participants from all over the world will virtually compete, run with and compare with each other and past Legends of the Worlds Greatest Ultra Marathon.
Race the Comrades Legends 2020 will be run on Sunday, 14 June 2020 at 00H00 (12 midnight) and finish at 23H59 on the actual race date in your time zone.
Anybody can join in on the fun. You can choose to run a distance of 5km, 10km, 21.1 km, 45km or 90km.
Several runners from Secunda will also be running in this virtual race. Jolene Carstens and Meintjie Jansen will be running the 90km race.
Virtual Comrades runners 
Virtual Comrades runners 
Virtual Comrades runners
Please show your support if you encounter any of these runners today.
Sport24 wrote the following on their website:
Thanks to the Comrades Marathon Association’s (CMA) international footprint and its band of passionate International Brand Ambassadors, the foreign entry tally for Sunday’s ‘Race the Comrades legends’ virtual race has surpassed the usual foreign contingent at the traditional Comrades Marathon.
With 25 brand ambassadors representing countries on the six continents of Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, North America and South America, the Comrades Marathon reach is wide and varied.
Boasting an entry tally of nearly 40 000 entries, the CMA is ensuring that ‘Race the Comrades legends’ is indeed The Ultimate Virtual Race.
The event has attracted entrants from around the world with 86 participating nations, and even more international participants than had entered this year’s cancelled Comrades Marathon.
CMA Chairperson, Cheryl Winn said, “We invite South Africa and the world to be part of the CMA’s inaugural virtual race, ‘Race the Comrades legends’. Sunday, 14 June is going to be a fun and festive day with participants from around the world sharing the spirit of camaraderie and unity on what would’ve been the 95th Comrades Marathon race day.”
ALSO READ: Secunda Marathon Club received sponsorship for Comrades
The Top 30 country breakdown is as follows (under country and entrants):
South Africa – 25 395
Brazil – 1 259
Great Britain – 433
United States – 256
Australia – 219
Zimbabwe – 136
India – 128
Canada – 104
Germany – 90
Zambia – 60
Russia -47
Netherlands -47
Namibia – 37
Ireland – 35
Botswana -28
Portugal – 28
South Sudan – 25
Philippines – 24
New Zealand – 22
Switzerland – 19
Japan – 17
Kenya – 15
South Korea – 15
France – 15
Tanzania – 15
Uganda – 11
Colombia -11
Israel – 11
Spain – 11
Swaziland – 10
There will be several “waterpoints” along the route that runners can run past. Club Chairperson will be manning one such “waterpoint” in Coen Brits street.
Good luck to all the participants.
