Missing Comrades Marathon runner Moira Harding found, airlifted to hospital

A runner who disappeared after finishing the Comrades Marathon on Sunday afternoon, sparking a missing person's alert and search, has been found and airlifted to hospital.

“Moira Harding has been found and is alive,” the Comrades Marathon Association said on Monday morning. 

“Please pray for her recovery,” said Gords Reid, who was instrumental in the search for her.

Reid subsequently disclosed that she was in a stable condition in hospital.

Harding, from Cape Town, who wore race number M33485, was confirmed to have finished the ultra-marathon at 4.52pm but then disappeared. The race was run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban this year. 

A wide-scale search was launched for her by police, metro officials and paramedics.

ALS Paramedics Medical Services said she was found near the NSRI base on Point Road, in Durban central, in “a critical state of health”. Its team stabilised her before she was transported to hospital by the Netcare 911 Aeromedical Helicopter.

It is believed she became disoriented after the run and wandered off, then became lost.

KwaZulu-Natal police said they are investigating the circumstances around her disappearance. "The woman is currently in hospital and although she was found with no visible injuries, police will await a medical report which will determine the next course of action."

Several runners took to social media to criticise the organisers for the bottlenecks at the finish line and exit area. Here is a selection of comments:

• “Completely chaotic scenes once again at the end. Runners unable to meet up with supporters, huge bottlenecks, zero crowd control, zero traffic management. Medical tent an absolute mess.”
• “It was a mess to get out of the finishing area, we had to wait four hours to be rescued by our families, I wish you guys can plan better.”
• “The end of the race was completely chaotic and unorganised! It was impossible to try find your runner and you couldn’t see the finish line to know when your runners were finished. Hoards of people were pushing and shoving at the end, I have no idea how the runners’ tired legs managed these conditions.”
• “The finish was a disaster. Families struggled to find each other! What a stressful event.”

This is a developing story

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