Profile
Route Description the "Down-Run"
For both the up and the down run it is important to note the dramatic physical variations in the Drummond to Durban stretch. In the down run this is the second half of the race. The first half can be deceptive and many runners will wonder if this is indeed a down run. The Pietermaritzburg to Drummond section does not have nearly the physical variation as the second half. Both Pietermaritzburg and Drummond lie roughly at the same height above sea level and the highest point of the course, Umlaas Road, is a mere 170 m above Pietermaritzburg. By contrast, the variation in height over the second half of the course is 650 m. This variation is dramatic and, as any seasoned campaigner will testify, it is the damage done to tired legs that makes up the physical challenge of the down run.
The Comrades route is best described by the 'Big Five' hills. The order of these hills on the down run is: Polly Shortts, Inchanga, Botha's Hill, Fields Hill and, finally, Cowie's Hill. Three of these hills are found in the second half. From the top of Botha's Hill to the base of Cowie's Hill there is a drop of over 500 m in just 22 km. Here is the challenge of the down run. Foolhardy exuberance here will be paid for many times over on the final run into Durban.
The start is always a festive occasion, with the blaring music in the foreground and the incessant chattering of a thousand mynah birds in the background, punctuated by the 'Chariots of Fire' theme and the Max Trimbourn cock-crow as five thirty draws near. A cannon shot, a big cheer and the flood of humanity surges forward. It takes about seven minutes to clear the field from the start.
First down the dip past Alexander Park and then into the dark suburbs of Pietermaritzburg towards Polly Shortts. A mere 8 km into the race, this hill hardly features on the down run. From this high ground runners can gaze out as the first rays of sunlight reflect off the mists in the distant valleys. Here there is always talk of last year's run, and how this hill, this stern tester of both great and average runners, provided trial and tribulation.
In the morning chill the local farmers are braaiing as we run past waving, still with much energy. The sun is now up and there are cows and horses grazing in the fields. The road ahead undulates into little hollows, but the climb is gentle and Ashburton is not far off. And so we hustle through the ample drinks tables at Mpushini and cut under the N3 at the Lion Park turnoff. Here there is public parking and the crowd is huge and the mood festive. By now there is more space between runners as we climb in the direction of colorful hot air balloons and Umlaas Road, the highest point of the race.
Here we run with the N3 on our left to Camperdown. We are in chicken-farm country as we head towards the delightful village filled to capacity with cheering spectators, runners and the smell of breakfast-braais. Now approaching the 60 km-to-go marker board, we enter Cato Ridge. The Cato Ridge Hotel cuts steep black-and-white angles against the sky as we descend to the underpass, which takes us back onto the northern part of the N3. Harrison Flats must be taken with caution, a seemingly barren stretch between the undulating grassland behind and the Valley of a Thousand Hills ahead.
And so onto Inchanga. The 'graveyard' of running behind us, we encounter a tunnel of cheering school children from the Ethembeni Home. This is a place to reflect, for these children are leaning on crutches or are in wheelchairs. The noise and the excitement is tangible as runners pass through this celebration. Many runners find great mental and spiritual upliftment here.
Inchanga is a notorious hill, and the slow climb past Byat's Store, no longer standing but acknowledged as a landmark, is hard. By now the sun is sitting high and the day is getting hot. Two steepish climbs wait up Inchanga Bank, then the descent into Drummond. Here one can see the highway far below, with Drummond in the distance, and hear the cacophony of sound as spectators revel in the festivities in the small town.
Here, at the halfway mark, the Valley of a Thousand Hills spreads out majestically to the north. There is a festive swirl of sound, smell and colour that passes all too quickly, for now the climb out of Drummond to Botha's Hill is hard. Before reaching the village, there is Arthur's Seat, legendary spot where it is believed the ghost of Greatheart Newton himself sits on Comrades day and greets each runner on the way to Durban. There is the Comrades Wall of Honor, the Alverstone Tower and the sweeping descent past the Rob Roy Hotel. This is the most scenic part of the Comrades Marathon, and a good time to savour the moment.
Near the top of Botha's Hill is Kearsney College. Here well-groomed, uniformed lads from the college line the road. Somewhat more restrained than the children at Ethembeni, it is still a warm welcome as the downhill running begins in earnest. The downhill run of Botha's is jarring and is difficult at times. Onward to Hillcrest.
As we enter Hillcrest, we see large country homes that hug the hillsides - in stark contrast to the rural Zulu huts that dotted the mountainous valley a few kilometers back. Hillcrest is a popular place for spectators and there are big crowds on both sides of the road. The distance begins to tell and, with 30 km to go, the pleasant tree-lined road is very welcome. We run past lovely homes with lush subtropical gardens and neat lawns.
The way forward from here is downhill, and I am reminded of the words of Tim Noakes: 'It is here, in the sudden solitude of the quiet lane that meanders gracefully through Emberton and Gillits that, for me, the Comrades Marathon really begins. No longer do I progress on my own terms - the hopes and confidence stored in my training now vanish before the reality. The course, which has been held at bay for 57 km, is now running me. Around me, I know that each runner is engaged in the same battle. In common suffering, we are alone to find our individual solutions.
'So despite the internal mutiny of an exhausted body, as I approach Kloof Station, my mind is still in control. But whatever mental reserves I retain, I know they are inadequate for the sight that now confronts me. From Kloof Station, at the top of Fields Hill, the Comrades plays the most evil trick. Experience tells me not to look, that should I, for one second, divert my eyes from the road, I will most likely not finish. But I have no discipline and I see laid before me the final, infinite 25 km that separates me from Durban and the finish at the old Kingsmead Cricket Ground.
'In each race I have learned the desire to quit comes but once. It is a coward that once beaten does not return. But as I begin the descent of Fields Hill, even this knowledge is of no assistance. It is here on this major descent, that I am joined by the final tormentor. The continual jarring of sharp descents form Inchanga, Botha's Hill and Hillcrest has taken its toll on my quadriceps and every step now sends an ever more painful shock down each thigh. Were the human brain able to recall the pain of Fields Hill, no one would run the down Comrades twice.
'This then is the point each runner, from the first to the last, must pass if he is to arrive in Durban on his own feet. It is here, stripped of any of society's false privileges, that he finds no hiding place, no shelter of convenience. Face to face with himself he must look deep inside.' 'These miles,' wrote George Sheehan, 'will challenge everything he holds dear, his value system, his lifestyle. They will ask nothing less than his view of the universe.'
Through Pinetown there are many wounded walkers who underestimated the damage that the Fields Hill gradient can render after covering a punishing 75 km. The dense crowds in Pinetown urge us onto Cowies Hill. Runners have locked into themselves at this point, fortifying their minds to carrying exhausted bodies the last 18 km to Durban.
The last part of the journey is run on the highway. The pull up to Tollgate, the last of the testers before the run into Durban, is exhausting. But with Durban in full view the race is almost at an end. Sahara Stadium, Kingsmead is not far off now. A large crowd shouts approval from a pub on the left. There are few walkers now. Suddenly there is the Old Fort Road and the stadium. The noise inside is deafening, the energy of the crowd wild and joyful and each of us feeds of the raw energy it presents.
Later I join my friend Tim Noakes as he reflects: 'I know why this is all necessary,' he says 'what common bond unites all Comrades runners. It is the need to look for the mountains in life. Skill, you see, is not our requirement, nor has your race got anything to do with winning or losing. These are the spoils of other lesser games, unable to transport you to the places we have been.'
To summarise: the Comrades course is characterised by five major hills, known as the 'Big Five'. Each presents the runner with a unique challenge. The following description of the 'Big Five' explains each. The down run contains some uphill running, therefore the climb to descent ratio is also given. This is the amount of climbing you must negotiate before the steep run down. The real factor on the down run is the descent/damage factor. This ratio is a function of the length of hill, the steepness of the hill and the distance from the start. As mentioned above, Fields Hills stands like a colossus on the course.
The Big Five : The Down Run
Polly Shortts
The start in Pietermaritzburg is in the center of town outside the picturesque red brick City Hall at an altitude of approximately 650m. After an initial gentle downhill from the start some moderate climbing is experienced to the top of the notorious Polly Shortts some 7km from the start, which now offers no problem at all to fresh legs. A short but fairly steep climb to Ashburton follows and then the easy descent of Little Pollys to Mpusheni. Often overlooked, but nevertheless an energy-sapper is the 7km ascent which follows to the highest point on the course at Umlaas Road. This is 18km into the race.
Inchanga
From the highest point to the foot of Inchanga the route is undulating and offers fairly comfortable running. At Mayets Superette the 2km climb to the top of Inchanga begins. While fairly long, the gradient is not very severe and is usually negotiated relatively easily by most runners. The standard marathon mark is at the top. It is the decent to the halfway mark in Drummond which runners should be wary of. It is this steep downhill and camber of the road, which heralds the start of jarring damage to legs. After the passing through the halfway, the course follows a steady climb, with Alverstone offering a difficult challenge, to the top of Bothas Hill.
Bothas Hill
What Inchanga began, Bothas continues, with 2,5km of downhill racing severely stressing the leg muscles. The severity of this descent cannot be over emphasized. The effects of this hill are usually only felt and appreciated later in the day. After this jarring downhill the short sharp ascent into Hillcrest can also be taxing.
Fields Hill
From Hillcrest, Fields Hill is reached after 10km of comfortable terrain during which quivering legs can gain some respite and recover to a degree. However, this is offset by another 3km of really punishing downhill which reduces legs to jelly again. Physio stations are much in demand from here on. After reaching the bottom of this seemingly never ending down, Pinetown flats should come as welcome relief, but this 3,3km stretch can often reduce runners to walk.
Cowies Hill
In comparison to the other hills, Cowies is not so awesome but combined with the recent decent of Fields and the flat section of Pinetown, the 1km climb up Cowies is quite formidable. The of course the 1.5km down the other side merely puts the finishing touches to the preceding 20km or so. From here to the finish there are numerous little down hills, the notable one being from the top of 45th Cutting to Mayville, which all add to the leg-weary runners woes.
OTHER POINTS OF INTEREST ON THE ROUTE
45th CUTTING
This is named after the British 45th Regiment of Foot ( Sherwood Foresters) stationed in Natal between 1843 and 1859 and who constructed a cutting through the hill near the present Mayville and is situated approx. 8 km from Durban. On the up run this offers a moderately taxing ascent from the bottom of Mayville to the summit at 45th Cutting.
WALL OF HONOUR
This wall is situated near Drummond, the halfway point, overlooking the Valley of 1000 Hills and was created to serve as a permanent landmark to commemorate the achievement of Comrades runners who have completed the epic journey between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Runners may purchase a block upon which is mounted a plaque recording their name, and number.
ARTHUR’S SEAT
This is a niche cut into the bank of the cutting at the site of the Wall of Honour and is reputed to have been a favourite resting spot of the legendary Arthur Newton, 5 times winner of the Comrades Marathon in the 1920’s. Legend has it that runners who pay tribute to Arthur as they pass by placing flowers in the niche and doffing their peak with the greeting “Good morning Sir”, will enjoy a strong second half of the race.
LITTLE POLLYS
On the up run, shortly before the notorious Polly Shortts, there lies a climb of far gentler proportions of about 1,5 km. This is reached after a welcome stretch of about 7 km of downhill running from the highest point at Umlaas Road. This little climb sometimes confuses unknowing runners into believing that this is the Polly Shortts. Local runners refer to this as “Little Pollys”
HIGHEST POINT
The highest point on the course (870 m) is situated at Umlaas Road, about 19 km from Pietermaritzburg, and is unremarkable as it is not reached by any noticeable hill and probably goes unnoticed by most runners. A landmark is a concrete water tower on the other side of the freeway which passes near the route at that point.
ALVERSTONE MAST
This radio and TV transmitting mast is visible on the down run from just past Cato Ridge and remains in view for hours, finally being reached after passing halfway. It marks a short but very steep climb which brings one to the top of Botha’s Hill.
CAMPERDOWN AND CATO RIDGE
These two villages through which the route passes usually have large crowds of spectators lining both sides of the road, who offer lots of encouragement and support to runners.
ETHEMBENI SCHOOL FOR HANDICAPPED CHILDREN
This school is situated near Inchanga and the children traditionally line the road cheering the runners on and shouting encouragement, and inspire many runners with their exuberance.
^ top