By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (PRASA) has announced the countdown to the departure of the charter service for the 2023 Comrades Marathon.
The trains will leave Park Station on Friday for Pietermaritzburg.
“More than 140 participating athletes and their families have opted to travel to the ultimate human race by train, “PRASA said
“For those lucky enough to be on board when this special train sets off, this promises to be an adventure of a lifetime. This means they will enjoy the dual benefit of our transport service and accommodation, while being treated to breakfast, dinner and entertainment. This service is offered by the Mainline Passenger Services (MLPS), a division of PRASA,” the agency said.
The return trips are competitively priced, making this unique travel experience affordable.
“The athletes can sit back and discover from the safety of their seats the extraordinary beauty of the country. This sporting event is an opportunity for PRASA to demonstrate our determination to restore long-distance passenger services and the resilience of the organization,” the agency said.
This is the second special train dedicated to the Comrades Marathon. The first one ran in August 2022.
“The Comrades Marathon is an iconic race, a test of human endurance. We at PRASA are engaged in a turnaround that reflects the perseverance that Comrades runners know very well. I’d like to take this opportunity to wish the best of luck to all those who will be running on Sunday, “PRASA Group CEO, Hishaam Emeran, said.
Meanwhile Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) said 25 athletes were disqualified from this Sunday’s Comrades Marathon after it was found they had supplied false qualifying information.
As a result, the athletes will also be suspended from entering the 2024 and 2025 races, the CMA said.
CMA race director Rowyn James said: “Runners found to have been cheating in any way, be it via submitting false qualifying details or in the race itself, are tarnishing the reputation of the sport and the Comrades Marathon Association, as well as disrespecting fellow athletes.
“The CMA will not tolerate cheating in any form. It is incumbent upon every athlete to honour the ethical code and ethos of the sport. We promote fair sport and to this end are continuing with investigations into other alleged transgressors, the outcome of which will be announced in due course.”
The 96th Comrades Marathon will be run on Sunday, June 11, starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 5.30am and ending 12 hours later at Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban. The distance will be 87.7km. This will be the 48th Comrades Down Run.