'If you are not feeling well, don't risk your health': Comrades Marathon doctor

A doctor in charge of medical personnel for the 96th Comrades Marathon on Sunday has cautioned athletes to be wary of being at the starting line if they have been unwell in the past two weeks.

Dr Jeremy Boulter was speaking at a media conference at the Elangeni Hotel on Thursday.

“Be aware of your body. It will tell you if things are not well. If you are not feeling well rather not risk your health,” said Boulter.

He also warned runners to avoid taking painkillers during the race.

“You can’t expect to run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban and you don’t get sore — it’s impossible. If runners take one or two paracetamol, that is not going to cause harm. The problem comes when you take up to 10, 11, 12 capsules — something you should not even take in 24 hours.”

He said they seldom see elite runners encountering health complications during the gruelling race. “What we see is if they run into problems, they slow down — say if they were aiming for a gold medal, they retract back into silver.”

Boulter expressed gratitude that the race continued to attract a strong contingent of medical personnel who have agreed to roll up their sleeves on a voluntary basis. The official route distance for the marathon is 87.701km.

Netcare 911 will provide 16 ambulances along the route, as well as 42 fully stocked refreshments stations equipped with satellite tracking to enable medical personnel to position vehicles and ensure optimal response times. There will also be:

• seven rapid response vehicles with advanced life support paramedics and full emergency equipment;
• four motorbikes;
• one air rescue helicopter; and
• eight medical points controlled from the joint operation control centre at the finish.

Comrades race director Rowyn James said the route was 2.2km shorter as it has returned to the Kingsmead finish venue and the number of entries increased by more than 4,000.

“This is indicative that we are coming out of Covid-19,” he said.

“The Comrades Association announced this week its had to [disqualify] 25 athletes for supplying [false] qualification information. Comrades will not tolerate cheating in any form. It’s disrespectful to the runners, sport and Comrades brand.”

James defended the association’s stance on naming and shaming clubs whose members were found to have been in the wrong. “We mentioned the clubs because we want them to look internally at ensuring appropriate action is taken for their members,” he said.

Comrades chairperson Mqondisi Ngcobo allayed concerns over roadworks on the stretch between Lion Park just after Lynnfield Park, which is often the first cut-off point in the race.

“We have worked well with the contractors and South African National Roads Agency. This has also resulted in the association removing the cut-off. The contractors have assured us the road will be safe for runners on that stretch,” said Ngcobo.

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