|
You are
going to need to run a qualifying
marathon if you intend running
Comrades.
Well that is if you didn’t successfully complete Comrades
this year.
Basically, what this amounts to is that you need to run a standard marathon (42.2km) in under 5 hours between the period 30 May 2010 and 6 May 2011. The CMA have establishes qualifying criteria for races that are longer than the standard marathon distance and these criteria are as follows:
Your qualifying marathon time is also used in determining your seeding group for the race. Needless to say, the quicker your qualifier, the closer you will be to the start line. As an ALSORAN runner, you need not worry about your seeding category. Trust me, it makes little difference in the scheme of things. The “delay” in crossing the start line is minimal and I promise you, there is no need to fret about those few minutes if you consider how much time one usually wastes along the route by stopping, pit stops, walking, leg rubs, wobblies and such. You can make up some of the time lost at the start by running through the first few refreshment tables! If you are following Don Oliver’s training programme, you will notice that Don prepares you to run your qualifying marathon in February 2011. This is useful as this qualifier will also serve as your qualifying marathon for the Two Oceans Marathon. For the Western Province runners (mostly) Don has included the Two Oceans as one of your long runs in your Comrades Marathon build up.
Key words:
qualifying
marathon, Comrades Marathon,
standard marathon, |
Copyright
Nikki
Campbell 2008