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, digital media and photographic agencies, radio stations and CMA official photographers.
Media Accreditation will be much 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 organisation.
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 facilities and area assignments.
The Media Accreditation Application is now CLOSED.
Media Accreditation must be collected from the Media Centre, Comrades Expo, Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC), Mezzanine Floor, 11 Walnut Road, Durban, during the following days between 10am and 5pm:
Thursday, 8 June 2023; Friday, 9 June 2023 and Saturday 10 June 2023.
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.
1. General Media Accreditation will provide access to the following facilities:
Media Centre Facilities at the Comrades Expo from 8 to 10 June 2023.
Any special Media Conferences scheduled by the CMA which might be held in Durban during 8 to 11 June 2023 (dates and times to be advised).
Post-race interviews with gold medallists 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 Comrades Finish Venue from 7am to 6pm from which the progress of the race can be viewed live on television monitors with regular supplementary information updates provided during the course of the day.
2. Media Truck Access is extremely 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 34 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 clearly on the Media Accreditation application.
3. Only photographers allocated with Finish Line 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 on the Media Accreditation application; but will not necessarily be allocated.
4. Media Bike Accreditation - A very limited number of motorbikes with drivers will be made available on a strictly allocated basis. Any request for motorbike and driver must be indicated on the Media Accreditation application; but will not necessarily be allocated.
Media Facilities at the Finish Venue will be available from 7am to 6pm and will provide the following:
- Telephone lines and fax facilities
- Sports Splits 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
- Refreshments and lunch at scheduled intervals
- Wifi
There will be no access to runners on the Finish Line. Gold Medallists 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 managing the Media Facilities. The Chairperson, Mqondisi Ngcobo; the Vice Chairperson, Les Burnard and the Race Director, Rowyn James are the official spokespersons for the Comrades Marathon Association.
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, Comrades Expo, Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC), Mezzanine Floor, 11 Walnut Road, Durban from Thursday, 8 June to Saturday, 10 June 2023 including telephones, wifi and information.
For further information please contact Delaine Cools at +27(0)33 897 8650 or email delaine@comrades.com
Thank you for your interest in the Comrades Marathon. We look forward to your cooperation.
