IOL Sport - Comrades Marathon - August 2022

COMRADES 2022 SPORT IOLAugust 2022 This special edition magazine is proudly sponsored by Hollywoodbets

28 August 2022: Runners pass Harrison Flats, with 55km still to go. The Comrades Marathon resumed after a two-year break due to Covid-19. COMRADES 2022 | P2 | AUGUST

Ultra-marathon runners Phakamile Ntshiza and Mzameleni Mthembu died before crossing the finishing line.

Keeping the momentum and spirit high.

Comrades Marathon runners push forwards from Pietermaritzburg to Moses Mabhida stadium in Durban. A welcome relief gets passed on by Hollywoodbets staff on the route to the finishing line.

This special edition magazine is proudly sponsored by Hollywoodbets

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According to the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA), 13 213 runners from over 70 nations were on the starting line when the race began in Pietermaritzburg at 5.30am. A whopping 11 709 made it to Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.

THOUSANDS of road running enthusiasts, professional athletes and those running for different causes made the annual trek between Pietermaritzburg and Durban when the 95th edition of the Comrades Marathon took place on Sunday, August 28.

Those who followed the race on television and the thousands that lined up the streets between the two KwaZulu-Natal cities, would have seen the camaraderie among the runners, family support at various points and runners encouraging each other to stay on course.

Editor’s Note COMRADES 2022 | P5 | AUGUST

Once again the 90-plus kilometre race proved it is not called the Ultimate Human Race without a reason as witnessed by residents of the villages and suburbs along the challenging route. Sadly, two runners, Mzameleni Mthembu and Phakamile Ntshiza lost their lives due to health complications during the race.

Tete Dijana, who was the ultimate champion on that Sunday, may have won the race but the two deceased heroes deserve the honours as they departed from this world participating in an event that has become a symbol of the Rainbow Nation, unity and equality.

While other sporting codes with limited number of participants were allowed back with stringent restrictions and no fans, events such as the Comrades became impossible to organise. Its return to the road running calendar after a two-year hiatus was a celebration of the human spirit and, in a way, marked the conquering of Covid-19 by the many runners who were training by themselves on their streets and even inside their yards.

Old friends met again on August 28, new relationships were created, a marriage proposal was made, new champions like Dijana emerged and lots of love was shared by volunteers offering water and energy boosters to the runners. This special edition has sought to capture some of those Touching Moments of the 2022 Down Run and we hope readers and runners alike will enjoy it.

Thulani Mbatha

But what made the 2022 Comrades Marathon special to many is that in 2020 and 2021 no one had imagined Comrades will return this year as the country was dealing with the killer pandemic Covid-19.

Celebration of the human spirit

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COMRADES 2022 | P24 | AUGUST Alexandra Morozova wins the women’s race of the 2022 Comrades Marathon at Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban in a time of 6 hrs 12 min 42 sec to improve on her previous two runners-up positions.

COMRADES 2022 | P25 | AUGUST Tete Morena Dijana (C) wins the men’s race of the 2022 Comrades Marathon at Moses Mabhida Stadium in a time of 5 hrs 30 min 38 sec on August 28 2022.

Nkosikhona Mhlakwana, the first Hollywoodbets Athletics Club’s elite male gets cheered on by the ‘Purple team’ as he passes through Hollywoodbets Halfway point. This special edition magazine is proudly sponsored by Hollywoodbets Makhosi Mhlongo, the first Hollywoodbets Athletics Club female elite runner to pass the Hollywoodbets Halfway point, being cheered on by the Purple Team.

The first male runner, Onalenna Khonkhobe, reaches Hollywoodbetsthe Halfway Mark in Drummond. EAGER crowds flocked to the streets of Durban and Pietermaritzburg this past Sunday, 28 August 2022, to witness the first competitive Com rades Marathon to be held since 2019. Sports betting operator, Hol lywoodbets, is proud to have been a part of the ultimate human race experience in Drummond, where they painted the Halfway Mark purple and cheered on all runners as they passed by. In a day where lifelong memo ries were created, more than 1 000 Hollywoodbets team members and their families spread purple magic at the Halfway Mark ensuring it was a resounding success. This year, Hollywoodbets extended their support of this major sporting event as they became the official sponsor of the Comrades race number. This placed the purple brand’s logo on each of the 15 900 athletes that took part in the Moreultra-marathon.than400runners from the Hollywoodbets Athletics Club were excited to be back in the race after a two-year break. Club elite runner and Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon runner-up, Nkosikhona Mhlakwana, earned a gold medal by finishing 6th overall, while fel low elite runners Sikhumbuzo Seme and Prodigal Khumalo were placed in the top 50 from a field of more than 15 900 runners. The Club also made their mark in the women’s top 30 as Makho sazana Mhlongo finished in a time of 06:17:48.

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Hollywoodbets shines at Comrades Marathon

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This special edition magazine is proudly sponsored by Hollywoodbets 2022 Comrades Marathon winner, Tete Dijana, passes through Hollywoodbets Halfway point. More than 1 000 Hollywoodbets Team Members and family show their support to all the runners passing through. Supporters handed out water, fruit, potatoes and mascotHollywoodbets’more.entertains and supports runners at the HalfwayHollywoodbetspoint.

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