Media Accreditation

SPECIAL NOTE

Demand for Comrades Marathon Media accreditation has increased to the extent that it has become increasingly necessary to limit access to these facilities.   We sincerely regret that we have no option but to apply strict limitations on the number of accredited journalists.  Priority will be given on the basis of national circulation figures, i.e. major circulation daily newspapers, photographic agencies, and CMA official photographers.

Media Accreditation will be more stringently allocated than in the past, and under no circumstances will we process applications for Media Accreditation during the week prior to the race.

Note that we will be strictly limiting the number of accredited journalists from any one respective organization, therefore please make sure that the representative from the organization is in fact the person that will be working on the day.

ACCREDITATION
Race Day Accreditation and allocation of access to facilities will be issued solely at the discretion of the Comrades Marathon Association.  The CMA reserves the right to make all race day media facility and area assignments.

MEDIA ACCREDITATION APPLICATIONS
The Media Accreditation Request Form must be completed and returned either by email together with a photograph by not later than 30 April 2013  to delaine@comrades.com.

Alternatively, together with two passport size photographs and posted no later than 30 April 2013 to the following address:-

Comrades Marathon Association
Media Department
Att: Delaine Cools
PO Box 100261
Scottsville, 3209

PLEASE CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE MEDIA ACCREDITATION FORM

COLLECTION OF MEDIA ACCREDITATIONS
Media Accreditation must be collected from the Media Centre, Bonitas Comrades Expo, Mezzanine Floor, Durban Exhibition Centre, Durban, during the following days in May
   
Thursday,  30 May 2013 : 10h00-17h00
Friday,   31 May 2013 : 10h00-17h00
Saturday,  1 June 2013 : 10h00-15h00

Note – The Media Centre will be closed for the duration of any Official Media Conferences. Date(s) and Time(s) of the official media conferences will be advised and posted at the Media Centre.

NB – Media Accreditation will NOT be posted, nor will it be issued on race day.
NO NEW APPLICATIONS WILL BE PROCESSED AT EXPO.
Please bring proof of Identification when collecting accreditation from Expo!!!!!

TYPES OF ACCREDITATION AVAILABLE

1. General Media Accreditation will provide access to the following facilities:

• Media Centre Facilities at the Bonitas Comrades Expo from the 30 Mary 2013 to 1 June 2013..
• Any special Media Conferences scheduled by the CMA which might be held in Durban.
• Media Facilities at the sole discretion of the CMA at The Cricket Oval in Pietermaritzburg 
• Post-race interviews with gold medalists and others.

NO ROUTE ACCESS STICKERS WILL BE ISSUED TO INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA. However, we urge members of the media to make use of the facilities we will be providing at The Cricket Oval in Pietermaritzburg  (the finish) from 07h00 to 18h00 from which the progress of the Race can be viewed live on TV monitors with regular supplementary information updates provided during the course of the day.
 
2. Media Truck Access is limited and will be made available at the sole discretion of the CMA.  Two Media Trucks will once again be provided for the exclusive use of selected radio and print journalists. Seating will be limited to a maximum of 32 persons and it may therefore be necessary to allow only one representative per organisation, with national circulation figures dictating precedence.  Any request for Media Truck Access must be indicated under Special Requirements on the Media Accreditation Request Form.

3. Only photographers allocated with Finish Photographers Accreditation will be permitted inside the Finish Area. Again we stress that this will be very strictly allocated at the sole discretion of the CMA, to mainstream media photographers only.  It will also be limited per organisation, with only one photographer from any one organisation permitted inside the Finish Area at any one time.  Any request for Finish Line Access must be indicated under special requirements in the Media Accreditation Special Request Form, but will not necessarily be allocated.

4. Route Photographers Accreditation - A very limited number of motorbikes with drivers as well as access to a photographers “vehicle” will be made available on a strictly allocated basis.  Any request for motorbike and driver or “Vehicle” access must be indicated under Special Requirements on the Media Accreditation Request Form, but will not necessarily be allocated.

MEDIA FACILITIES AT THE FINISH
Media Facilities at the Finish will be located at The Cricket Oval in Pietermaritzburg. It will overlook the finish and will be available from 07h00 to 18h00 and will provide the following:

• Telkom telephone lines and fax facilities
• RaceTec Event Management race and runner information
• Television monitors
• Race results and bulletins made available in hard copy throughout the day
• Tea, coffee and liquid refreshments throughout the day
• Sandwiches, snacks and lunch at scheduled intervals

There will be no access to runners on the Finish Line. Gold Medalists and others will however be brought to the Media Interviewing Facility for a Media Conference on race day.

CMA personnel will be on hand to assist Members of the Media. Delaine Cools will be in charge of coordinating the Media Facilities.  Peter Proctor (Chairman),Gary Boshoff (General Manager), Delaine Cools (Media & Communication) are the official spokespersons for the Comrades Marathon Association. 

 
MEDIA FACILITIES AVAILABLE DURING EXPO
Date(s) and time(s) of any Pre-Race Media Conference(s) will be advised in due course.

Facilities will be available at the Media Centre of the Bonitas Comrades Expo, Mezzanine Floor, Durban Exhibition Centre from Thursday 30 May 2013 to 1 June 2013  including telephones, fax and information.

For further information please contact Delaine Cools at +27(0)338978650 or email delaine@comrades.com