- It’s not just the distance on the road that you need in training. You also need to know the route. The detailed description of the route is posted to various websites around November each year
- Carefully plan how you want to plan your day. One of the best ways is to draw up your time schedule of where you want to be at what time of day knowing that you must be at the finish before 17h30. What about breaking your Comrades into 7 Little Runs rather than having to face one huge challenge of almost 90 kms.
- Comrades gives you 12 hours as a maximum to get from the start to the finish so it’s up to you to manage yourself to make correct use of that or whatever other time you’re aiming for. You can’t manage time. You can only manage yourself to use that time correctly.
- There’s a knack to the walking you are probably going to have to do on Comrades day. Remember that aimless walking wastes time so when you need to walk, just walk 100 paces at a brisk pace, then run 200 paces. Walk 100 paces then run 200 paces and carry on until you have finished your need to walk.
- Whatever you do, don’t waste time at refreshment stations. Take your drink and walk briskly through the station. Remember that if you waste just 1 minute at half the refreshment stations on the road, you will have lost over 20 minutes from your day
- Don’t waste time by stopping during the day unless you absolutely have to – and most times you don’t have to. Remember that every step you take in the direction of the finish is one less step that you have to take.
- Unless there is no possible way to avoid it, don’t get into a rescue bus. The pain of doing that stays with you a lot longer than the pain of getting from the start to the finish.
- Look after yourself over the first 25km – both Up & Down Run. If you don’t pace yourself properly there, you stand a good chance of messing up your entire race.
- Remember that Comrades is 90% from the neck up. Just when you think you can’t carry on, remember that in most cases you can.
- Enjoy your day. That’s why you’re there and here’s what awaits you.
The Marathon 
Dear Dave,
Your posts helped me immensely. Especially the mental preparation before Comrades and breaking it into 7 little runs.
This helped me with my back to back medals in 2018 and 2019, both Bronze medals to which I am very proud of.
To you, I will be eternally grateful.
Thank you Dave.
Be well Gina Caskie
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Hi Gina,
I am delighted that I was able to help you to get those medals. The great thing about the 7 little Runs is that it seldom fails and it helps to control your entire race if you do it properly which you obviously did. Congratulations. I hope that you are going to be at the centenary run next year (provided we can get rid of this dreadful Covid thing) because I think that’s going to be a very special one!
Regards and all the best,
Dave Jack (Green Number 482)
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