Reflecting on Black women representation in the Comrades marathon.
The excitement around the Comrades Marathon has eased and it is only rife that I pen down a reflection on the race. The 96th Comrades marathon was held on Sunday, the 11th of June 2023, which was a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Thousands of people from all over the world took to coastal province of Kwa Zulu Natal to participate in this marathon. The Comrades marathon is hailed as the ‘Ultimate human race’. True to its name, indeed it’s a dream of anyone who considers themselves a runner to one day partake in this run, however the lack of Black women representation in the marathon leaves a lot to be discussed.
In her interview with SABC sport, the record-breaking 2023 Comrades marathon winner, Gerda Steyn discussed the work that goes into training for the marathon. This year, the marathon was a gruesome 87, 7 km run to which Steyn, the woman winner of the women’s race ran in 5:44:56. It is without a doubt that for one’s body to be able to run this race, they would need a lot of preparation that this is not limited to just physical training.
In her interview with SABC sport, after breaking another record at the Total sports Two Oceans 56 KM ultramarathon, Steyn mentioned that she quit her job as a quantity surveyor in order to focus on her running. As part of her training, Gerda runs every day, eat nutritious food that will enable her to run well in races and further incorporates cross training which includes hiking, cycling and gym workouts. Gerda’s testimony to how she prepares for races is evidence to what is needed in order for one to prepare themselves for such a big race as the Comrades marathon.
2018, which is the last official statistics available of the Comrades marathon saw 21 272 contenders at the starting line of the race, 3 372 of them being women. These statistics are evident of the constraints that women face in having what it takes to participate in the ultimate human race. This statistic also speaks to the resources that one must have access to in order to participate successfully in the race.
The need of adequate resources is important in addressing the lack of Black women participants in the Comrades marathon. The Comrades marathon is a prestigious race, not only is it considered being one of the famous ultra-marathons in the world but it also boasts a lot of participants and supporters. As a result, a lot of preparation goes into the race. To make an example; major routes which include the national road, N3 are closed in anticipation of the race. True to its prestigious status and the capacity of people that the race pulls to KwaZulu Natal, its preparations must be of a higher standard to ensure the success of the race. In order to meet this demand, the organisers then require that each South African participant to the race pay an entrance fee of R1 200. This amount is almost a week’s salary if one were to factor in South Africa’s minimum wage.
Before one can get to the paying stage to participate in the Comrades marathon, they must have ran a qualifying race and finished it at a particular time. My aim here is not to focus on the said requirement but it is to emphasise physical readiness that I mentioned above. A qualifying race is a distance of 42.2 KM whereas one can also participate in an Ultra-marathon with ranges from 50 to 60 KM. However, for one to prepare for these races to even have the qualifying time, they need to have had enough training, had proper nutrition and to a certain extent, comfortable running gear which usually comprises of expensive running shoes. One also needs to factor in time when preparing for these races because you will need time to train, whether you make time in the early mornings or late evenings or in between the day during your working hours assuming that you work. This time also comprises of the labour that Black women perform in their homes to where they are usually the primary care givers.
As previously mentioned, the race takes place between Pietermaritzburg and Durban and participants from all over the world then prepare to travel to these destinations. These include accommodation around the destination, transport that may be flight and ground travels. The organisers of the race also have options for participants and their supporters to move around during the race by means of buses, however, these come at a cost. It is then fair to say that entering this prestigious race do not only needs physical ability but it also come with financial sacrifice.
Historically, Black women have been excluded from participating in sports primarily because of racist and patriarchy-fuelled misogyny. The dawn of democracy have seen an increase of Black women participating in sports such as the Comrades marathon. However, systemic challenges that hinder women from participating in sports like the Comrades Marathon like the ones above persists. Black women still bear the brunt of being primary caregivers that takes away from them having enough time to train for marathons. Black women still occupy low paying occupations like domestic work and factory work. These occupations make it difficult for them to not only afford the fees that come with participating in prestigious races such as the Comrades Marathon but also even when they do get time off, they are too tired to even train.
In conclusion, we need more Black women to participate in such prestigious races; however, the impediments that makes this impossible for them must be challenged and overhauled.
