The annual Comrades Marathon will be held between Durban and Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.
We take a closer look at the race by the numbers.
3 – Starting groups that will be separated in Durban in order to ease congestion in the early stages of the race
4 – Victories achieved by Gerda Steyn, who is aiming to become the seventh athlete (men and women) to win the race five times
5 – Major hills runners must climb along the route, including Cowies, Fields, Botha’s, Inchanga and Polly Shortts
7 – Cut-off points along the route which runners must reach in time to continue and receive a medal
9 – Buses led by pacesetters who will help runners reach the finish ahead of the various cut-off times for specific medals
12 – Final cut-off, in hours, for athletes to receive a medal for an official finish
20 – Minimum age limit for runners to participate in the race
49 – Refreshment stations along the route which will be manned by 5,000 volunteers
85.77 – Official race distance, in kilometres, making this the shortest Comrades Marathon in the history of the race
99 – The number of times the race has been held, including this weekend’s event, since it was first launched in 1921
131 – Total athletes included in the official elite field for the race, who will start in the first group of runners at 5am
191 – Paramedics, doctors, nurses and paramedical students working at medical stations along the route and in the medical tent at the finish
900 – Pockets of oranges available at refreshment stations, along with 700 boxes of bananas, two tonnes of potatoes, 1,640kg of biscuits and 1,100kg of chocolates
3,000 – Cardboard bins placed along the route to prevent littering
21,633 – Official number of entrants who qualified to participate in this year’s race
2.2 million – Sachets of water available for runners at refreshment stations, among other energy drinks and cold drinks
8.2 million – Total prize purse available to elite athletes, in rands, including lucrative bonuses on offer for record performances
