Comrades Marathon date changes
THE dates for the 2009 and 2010 Comrades Marathons were announced by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA).
The 2009 'down' run will take place on Sunday 24 May and the 2010 'up' run will be held on Sunday 30 May.
CMA Chairman, Dave Dixon explained that it would have been unfeasible to stage the Comrades Marathon during the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup.
'The first World Cup match is on 11 June 2010, so we simply cannot hold the Comrades during June, as we normally do - it will be impossible to obtain essential resources.
'The SAPS and traffic authorities will be fully occupied, attending to thousands of visitors while most of the country's broadcast facilities will be tied up in the coverage of football matches.'
President of Athletics South Africa, Leonard Chuene further explained the reason for the shift in dates.
'In 2010, we have the FIFA World Cup from 11 June until 11 July, and in 2009, the FIFA Confederations Cup is currently scheduled for 14-28 June.
'The Comrades Marathon Association thus applied for date changes for both these years through KZN Athletics, and in consultation with the relevant local and provincial governments, Athletics South Africa has approved the new dates.
The CMA is hugely indebted to KZNA and ASA for their support throughout this process.
'Since January this year ASA and KZNA have facilitated the consultations with the two host cities, Pietermaritzburg and Durban in order to secure the new dates,' said Dixon.
The CMA believes that the new Comrades dates will benefit the sport in that the national attention will remain focused on the Comrades Marathon ahead of the Confederations Cup in 2009 and the FIFA World Cup in 2010.
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