VIC CLAPHAMS VISION
When the smoke cleared from a war torn world at the end of 1918, the dead numbered almost 10 million. In that war of only four years, far more people died than in all the wars 100 years previously. It is little wonder therefore that associations such as the League of Comrades of the Great War were started, to give help to families torn apart by the cruelties of war, but also for soldiers to rekindle the camaraderie shared on the battlefield.
A soldier, a dreamer, who had campaigned in East Africa in that terrible war approached the League of Comrades of the Great War with a vision that would result in the worlds greatest ultra marathon eighty years later. Little could Vic Clapham have visualized that when he founded the Comrades Marathon in 1921, that almost twenty thousand aspiring athletes would stand at the start of his dream race.
After he returned home Clapham approached the athletics heirachy in Natal with a vision. A race between Pietermaritzburg, his hometown and Durban. He had heard of a "Stock exchange Walk" from London to Brighton, a similar distance. He felt that if infantrymen, drafted into the armed forces from sedentary jobs, could endure forced marches over great distances, trained athletes could cover the distance between the two cities without great difficulty.
The athletics body was not interested, and thought Clapham was mad. Undaunted Clapham approached the League, and asked permission to stage the race under their auspices. Clapham did not receive the response he had hoped for. Members of the league thought such an undertaking far too strenuous for even a trained athlete and turned his proposal down.
Clapham persevered and applied to the same body again in 1919 and again in 1920. Finally, in 1921, he was extended a loan of one pound (two Rand) provided the money was paid back. Vic Clapham endured much from his critics, but in that year he forged ahead with his plans and under the doubtful watch from the League of Comrades of the Great War, founded the Comrades Marathon. He had a letter published in the local press, announcing the event. He invited donations of prizes and said that entry forms could be obtained from his home in Pietermartizburg or from Mr. JR walker, secretary of the Comrades in Durban.
And so one of the great athletics events of our time was born on Empire day, may 24th 1921. The camaraderie had as its basis the memories of that terrible war three years previous. Traditions would grow and survive even into the present day.
In fact many of the traditions that exist now, at the turn of the century, were established in that first decade. The starting time for the first race in 1921 was 07h00 and the time limit was 12 hours. In 1922, the race saw its first enduring change -- the starting time was altered to 06h00 to accommodate the back runners who finished in the dark. It was only in 1928 that the time limit was revised to its present day eleven hours. But fields were small in those days, and the world on balance seemed a more congenial place. In recent years the time limit has once again been extended to 12 hours, but medals are only awarded to those finishing in less than 11 hours.
The Hills of the Comrades Marathon
The Comrades course has five registered hills, runners call them the “Big Five”. These are the stars of the show. In order of appearance they are: Cowies Hill, Fields Hill, Botha’s Hill, Inchanga and Polly Shortts. Three of the “Big Five” are found in the first half of the race. From the base of the first hill, Cowies, to the top of Botha’s Hill you climb 502 metres in the space of only 22 kilometres. Any seasoned campaigner will tell you this translates into a lot of steep climbing. The first half of the ‘up run’ is challenging and early exuberance and bravado will be paid for dearly later on in the day.
Comrades Marathon Route Profile (Down Run)
BOTHA'S HILL - Runners impressions.
Near the top of Botha’s Hill is Kearsney College. Here well-groomed and uniformed lads from the college line the road. They may be a little more restrained than the children at Ethembeni, but their greeting is always warm and enthusiastic. Another one of those rare and precious moments which make up the magic of this special day.
Up Run
Botha’s Hill starts at the 35km mark and is probably the steepest of the Big 5, but again, not a huge mountain like some of the others. It’s much shorter but very steep and most runners walk through to the 37km mark.
Down Run
From the top of Botha's Hill to the base of Cowie's Hill there is a drop of over 500 metres in just 22 kilometres. This is the real test of the down run, and any foolhardy exuberance over this treacherous stretch will be paid for many times over in the final run into Durban.
The downhill running begins here in earnest. Botha’s Hill is steep, jarring and difficult. The crowds are thick, the mood festive as you press onward into Hillcrest. On entering Hillcrest, there are large country homes that hug the hillsides, a stark contrast to the rural Zulu huts that dot the mountainous hillsides just a few kilometres behind.
The Cache
The cache has been placed close to the official Comrades Marathon information point.
Please use extreme stealth in retrieving and replacing the cache!!!