Comrades 2022

1owrez

Bruce himself used to offer runner and supporter packages, I think he has stepped away from that now, but there are a few others out there. Note I have not used these, but they face off against safety concerns. ConSports is one of them:

https://runnerandsupportpackages2022.myactive.co.za/CaptureDetails/Home.aspx

A brief description of previous years format here:

https://consports.co.za/comrades-2021/

Think there are more selling their wares on the UK & Ireland FaceBook forum.

1owrez

I will turn up in Manchester tomorrow but I'll only be walking, maybe the 16 miles to Altrincham. I'll be parked up there having got the tram to the start.

Yellow B is the last wave. Strangely the wave prior to that is Purple and contains the only 6 hour pacing group. They'll be 10 minutes ahead of me; if I can somehow reel them in during those 16 miles I might even be able to struggle on with them and finish.

1owrez

Just checked the only marathon I ever completely power walked at the ex F1 Circuito del Jarama in Madrid; I clocked 6:09, it has a couple of quite challenging climbs; and we did 11 laps to cover 26 miles - if me dodgy ham stands up I might even beat that "pb" tomorrow

Dubairunner

Lowrez, entering for 2022 was the only option so I’ll defer when it opens in June.

1owrez

Aha, I see Mr D - you're after salvaging 85% of your entry fee through the substitution process? Sorry end of August effectively exempts you from the event

1owrez

Just discovered that the Comrades Expo is being staged at Durban ICC this year (yellow block on the right in the above picture), not the usual Durban Exhibition Centre (yellow block on the left).

thomasclowes

Hi Lowrez.

Thanks for the insight. I actually used Consports in 2019 for additional nutrition support. Didn't realise they offered a supporters package.

That said, if all goes to plan I suspect she'd only be able to see me at one point as I 'hope' to be past the first support point fairly quickly and when the bus for supporters leaves seems to be setup to accomodate the majority (understandably).

I'll see if anyone has any insights on the 'partner experience' on the FB group

Congrats on completing Manchester. Didn't manage to spot you. Although you might have seen/heard us (Chorlton Runners). It was great conditions !

1owrez

Thanks Thomas, hope you can find something safe and friendly.

Did you spot a bloke lookin like the above on the opposite side of the road from you in acres of space? On the out and backs the sweeper bus and it's sorry load kept haunting me, but I burnt it well away in the second half and began passing many crying runners who had caved and were distraught at a buffoon like me smilingly cruising by As usual I was giving tons of runners shout outs; I do believe many cries of "Chorltooooon!" were delivered I have approaching 90 pictures of me!

This went so well that I am investing in further togs...

baldstan

Good to see you, Debra, on the South Downs Way 50 today. Glad your ankle held up and you got to the finish. Hope you're feeling ok now. It was such a lovely day, almost perfect running conditions. 

Debra Bourne

Catching up because gmail had been punting all the notifications to my spam folder!
Bike It: congrats on the qualifier, particularly with your epic cattle work the day before. Fantastic strategy during the race, and a great description as well. And well done getting the entry sorted out.
Mark A: Sympathies for the continuing problems. Here's hoping the new hardwear really helps.
SD: glad you got your entry in okay. Good luck getting flights sorted.
Terry: Good to hear from you.
Stan: hope you can go for it!
Thomas: this info might be too late by now, but I would definitely recommend flying via Dubai. The Dubai-to-Durban flight is packed with Comrades runners. I had a wonderful time on my flights, met lots of other runners, had great conversations.

lowrez: safari is wonderful. 2019 we drove to Hluhluwe-iMfolozi and spent a few days there (wish we'd booked for longer!) then back via the wetlands for a river trip before running Thousand Hills parkrun the Saturday after Comrades. Or if you can get there, Kriper National Park is amazing.

baldstan: Good to see you yesterday  as well. Conditions were great and I wish my running had been able to do them justice. But the main goals were to enjoy it and to finish, and I managed both of those.

I've pretty much decided not to use my entry this year. I feel a bit sad and will miss seeing everyone, but I've had a huge amount of pressure on me the past year and I think that adding to it by needing to run a qualifying marathon is really not sensible.

1owrez

Congrats on the 50 Debra 🥳 I too am getting repeated bungs of notifications into junk 🤔
Good decision on your overall programme for the year. You are astoundingly good doing several long events, knowing how far you can push yourself is very important. I like very much that you've decided to limit the stress, even though it's tough to miss out.

Becca7

I had also stopped getting notifications and it seems that there have been 761 messages since I last logged on.  I will have a look back.  I'm entered for Comrades and have a qualifier from Cyprus Marathon.  Next is Keswick to Barrow.  That has rather snuck up on me and I'm likely to be going to India next week so no opportunity for last minute training.  

1owrez

My leaving do... 8 miles, 8 pubs... we had a right giraffe

1owrez

Hope you get some great running in India Becca, crying my eyes out at you missing K2B

1owrez

Bloke runs from Keswick to Barrow (40 miles in 9 hours 😀) They said we should wear hi-viz; obviously that bloke over my shoulder didn't get the memo, (and you can see he is actually doing the 20 mile Coniston to Barrow based on his orange lanyard versus my blue).

Grand weekend in The Lakes with PeterR, baldstan, Mac3, Southern Snail, and a wider cast of non-forum supporters 😀 that Peter bloke is a bit swift; sub 6 hours 😮

1owrez

Does anyone want a (free) place at the Waterford Marathon in Ireland on June 26th. I've decided not to run it in favour of another marathon in Lancaster a fortnight later to give me maximum time to build for the 26. I can officially swap someone in to replace me. I currently have accommodation booked you  could check out too before I cancel it.

Slow Duck

Away on holiday that weekend...

1owrez

In Ireland

Slow Duck

🇪🇸 with Mrs SD on a non-running holiday…

1owrez

Mmm omelettes, hope you two have a good break SD

1owrez

Managed through charm and wit to get Waterford deferred to 2023

Comrades substitutions run for the whole month of June, but it's a 2 stage process; you need to surrender your entry during 1st to 14th, the second half of the month is for people to enter based on those returns. Reason I am blabbing about that is I am carrying a hamstring problem at the moment that I picked up a few weeks back at the Trimpell 20 and stupidly exacerbated at the Manchester marathon, K2B and Chester half... yes it's taken me this long and all those events to finally click I've kept antagonising it and not letting it mend fully. So I am currently not training or building up to achieve the much needed sub 4:50. I have a dilemma on whether to substitute or hope I recover and can qualify on 10th July at a localish marathon now that I have managed to push Waterford into next year.

1owrez

Still enjoyed Chester Half

1owrez

The centenary monopoly set is 780 ZAR... Just had a quote to send me one... P&P 1,800 ZAR I've asked if Achilles himself is gonna ascend from Hades and deliver it to me by hand

Slow Duck

lowrez - true to form I’m sure you’ll take things to the wire and then come up smelling of roses🌹 🌹 Here’s wishing you luck on your recovery and qualification in case you need it🤞 

1owrez

I have shovelled that luck into my big lucky sack SD, I am going to need to fill it up and currently it's well short. Thank you for your donation ... Scurries off to stretch some things  

1owrez

1owrez said (in July 2020):

You know I said one day I'd count me medals... I think its 44 at marathon or greater, what you can't see above is 11 companions to the 2008 London on the top line which are in a frame of the first 12 I ran, a further London from last year (but I know where that is) and, rather worryingly, seeing as I believe I have sorted through everything I own in the past month, my 2017 Comrades medal, although there is a long shot that it could be stashed elsewhere in the house or even at work... hang on - there are of course 7 more, now where is that carrier bag - oh blimey - how many carrier bags have I thrown out recently... when was last bin day??? So I am through the half century!

Hope everything is going well. Still not fully sorted at home, lots of things upside down, but as you can see I have started to surface... better put the above stuff away and continue the saga!

It's now May 2022 and I'm having another bit of a sort out...

Found it!

1owrez

But where is the box all that other stuff is in now

Debra Bourne

Before I cancel my room at the Belaire Suites for this year, does anyone need it?

• £201 / ZAR 3,888.81 for four nights.

Slow Duck

Oooh that is good value.

Unfortunately I’ve already booked (and paid) for 5 nights at City Lodge @5945ZAR…

1owrez

I just rang Jo in Durban and it sounds like a marshalling job is on the cards, unfortunately 4 days doesn't match what I need so I will pass.

SD, sounds like you have gone flexible and can cancel at no charge? I'm about to go in on ONOMO on a no refund basis arrgh! But, even if Comrades falls through I'm hoping I will still be able to travel and dance the night away instead