Comrades runner Moira Harding's finish could easily have ended in tragedy, says Point resident

The Comrades Marathon Association insists this year's street finish is not related to Cape Town runner Moira Harding’s disappearance but will review criticism about congestion and chaos outside People's Park in Durban.

Harding, 54, was reported missing when her family couldn’t find her after she finished the 89km ultra-marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban at 4.52pm last Sunday, sparking a wide-scale search by family, friends and police.

The search continued well into the night and resumed in the early hours of Monday until her husband, Daryl was contacted at about 7am by authorities to say she had been found near the NSRI base on Point Road — 6.9km away — in “a critical state”. 

ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson said she was “conscious but very confused from the cold and all that she went through”. Harding was airlifted to Umhlanga hospital and sedated for several days while doctors treated her for hypothermia. 

Police confirmed she was found with no visible injuries, something Ongezwa Sidumo who lives on Point road said could easily have ended tragically.

“The Point area, and the south beach area as a whole, is a dangerous place for anyone, but more so for a woman wandering by herself at night. It has long been known for its crimes such as robberies and kidnappings. I’ve also been a victim of robbery by the vagrants, but it’s not only them committing crime, even seemingly normal people driving beautiful cars,” she said.

“There’s also a lot of prostitution, and those girls can attack you if you’re a woman they don’t know and think you’re working in their territory. The municipality has improved the area massively recently, and police visibility has increased massively, but the challenges can’t be resolved overnight.”

It is believed that Harding became disoriented after the run and, in the confusion of the finish, couldn't find her way to the meeting spot she had arranged with her family. She then wandered off and got lost.

Gauteng surgical gastroenterologist and hepato-biliary surgeon Dr Avishkar Gurunand, who shares a keen interest in exercise, said there are dangers associated with over exertion for athletes who participate in an event like the Comrades Marathon, including cardiovascular pathology that may be symptomatic of the effects of prolonged exercise, electrolyte disturbances, muscle breakdown (rhabdomyolysis) and dehydration.

“The human body is robust enough to handle significant physiological stress. The concern is that prolonged high-intensity activity can unmask underlying cardiovascular disease and, in rare circumstances, with fatal consequences.”

“These can be largely combated by adequate fluid intake and electrolyte replacement during the time of exercise and afterwards, but if unchecked, this can lead to renal failure, cardiac arrhythmias and a delirious state — all of which are medical emergencies, he added.

Police said they would await a medical report that would determine the next course of action.

According to media reports, Harding’s sister, Fiona Baldwin, said she is recovering well in hospital and is awake and speaking. 

Baldwin slammed marathon organisers for the race's “chaotic and poorly controlled ending”. 

She told reporters the chaos at the finish line may have played a role in Harding's disappearance.

Unlike in previous years when the finish line down run was either the Moses Mabhida Stadium or the Kingsmead stadium, the 98th edition had a street finish line, ending at Masabalala Yengwa street near People’s Park.

Ironically, CMA general manager Alain Dalais said the call for a street finish line was made to ensure safety of the runners and spectators.

“The primary reason for street finish was safety. This was the biggest ever down run in the history of comrades in terms of the number of runners. The largest ever field so a stadium environment, let’s say Kingsmead for example, where we normally finish for a down run, is not large enough to accommodate that many runners and the spectators who come with them. Kingsmead from a safety point of view wouldn’t have the capacity. We have finished previously inside Moses Mabhida Stadium but it’s under construction at present.”

Dalais maintains there is no relation between Harding’s incident and the street finish.

“They are not related in any way. Moira finished the race, got her medal and everything. When she left the finish, she was walking (and) looking for her family in the direction where the accommodation was but she continued walking along the beach front — she was obviously exhausted and dehydrated as well — until she got to that spot where they found her.

“We hear the criticism and complaints, particularly about the finish venue, management of flow in the venue and security, and we want to assure the running community that we are taking this feedback seriously. We will be implementing changes and improvements to enhance the overall runner and spectator experience, and of course, to improve on safety aspects as well.”

He said the CMA met international road running Dr Hilary Walker, general secretary of the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU), who attended this year’s race, for feedback.

“She had valuable insights to share on various aspects of our race and will be sending us a more detailed report soon, which we will add to the 2025 debrief process as we work towards making the 2026 and 2027 races even better,” says Dalais.

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