Durban - The upcoming Comrades Marathon is expected to boost the province's coffers by R248 million.
More than 15 000 runners are registered for the race on Sunday. It will start at 5.30am at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finish at 5.30pm at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
Runners who fail to cross the line at Moses Mabhida by 5.30pm will not receive medals.
"The event will bring a much-needed economic boost to the cities of Pietermaritzburg, with accommodation occupancies reported to be peaking at 93%, and Durban and Umhlanga at 69%, for the weekend.
“The event will be held amid much fanfare following a two-year break brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic," said KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs, Siboniso Duma.
This year’s race slogan, “The Return – Sishay' Ibuya”, signals the long-awaited return to road-running and a celebration of the comeback of “The Ultimate Human Race”, and that KZN is back in action.
The Comrades Marathon will see thousands of runners from all over the world descend on KZN.
The runners will wait for cock’s crow to signal the start of the race at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall, for the Down Run of the world’s biggest and oldest ultra-marathon.
"We are excited to be able to host this marathon after a two-year absence and we wish all the runners the best of luck for this year’s Down Run in the Comrades Marathon and encourage them to stay on longer and enjoy our hospitality,“ the MEC said.
eThekwini mayor Mxolisi Kaunda said the City was proud to be co-hosting the marathon. which attracted competitors from across South Africa and the world. He said the municipality was looking forward to the influx of tourists.
Durban Metro police spokesperson Geraldine Stevens said law enforcement was ready for the race.
"To ensure high visibility of members, we will beef up the number of officers at all the cut-off points. We have aligned our operational plans according to the cut-off points and times provided by the Comrades Marathon Association," she said.
Several roads between PMB and Durban will be closed to traffic; further details can be found here.
IOL