10 June 2005: No 31/05

DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE PARTICIPATION IN COMRADES MARATHON 2005

The SANDF athletes/ runners will once again participate in the 2005 Comrades Marathon on 16 June 2005 over a distance of 90 km from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. 

This year a total of ± 275 DOD runners will participate in the race. The DOD, including the Reserve Force Club Natal Carbineers as a combined club, has the fourth largest club entry for this year. A total of ± 14 000 athletes will participate in the race. 500 foreign athletes will also take part. 

The Defence Force will have a special stand at the Kingsmead Stadium in Durban where all the families and friends of the runners can get together to watch the runners entering the stadium. 

The stand can be identified from the National Flag, SANDF flag and four Service flags, which will be displayed with banners in front of the stand.

To promote the corporate image of the DOD with respect to the Comrades and to capture DOD participation in the Comrades, Col Zirk Lourens will, as in the past, liaise with SABC TV for coverage and conduct a live interview on television upon completion of the race at approximately 15H00. 

A radio interview is also planned. Members from the Area Military Health Unit KZN will provide a waterpoint en route and physiotherapy services at the SANDF stand located at the ‘FINISH’. They will assist persons in need of medical care on completion of the race. 

Six (6) athletes will try to obtain their green numbers by completing their tenth Comrades. A total of 60 athletes will be competing for the first time. Col Zirk Lourens and Mr Richard Hammill will be running their 21st Comrades. A total of 33 athletes who will be participating have already completed more than 10 races.

The CSANDF and members of the Defence Staff Council, as well as the management of the SANDF Road Runners Association, wish all participants a successful race and trust that their personal goals for the day will be met.

Enquiries: Col Zirk Lourens PRO for Comrades Marathon 2005 (No 6630)
Tel. (012) 674 6502  Fax: (012) 674 6560.