The 24th of May 1921 saw just 34 men start from the Pietermaritzburg City Hall to run to Durban for the very first Comrades Marathon and now on the 24th of May 2021, 34 runners will make a tribute run starting from the exact spot outside the Pietermaritzburg City Hall where those runners, 100 years ago, set off for Durban.
There has been a lot of speculation as to who the runners are who have been honoured with being part of the tribute run in this centenary year and who will run from the Pietermaritzburg City Hall to Comrades House just 2.2km away to where the dignitaries await them and where the day’s festivities begin.
Sadly the festivities have had to be limited to 250 people because of covid but nonetheless we will see CMA Elders, former Chairpersons, current CMA Board and Staff members, members of the Race Organising Committee, current sponsors, representatives of the Official Comrades Charities, a number of very important dignitaries and select media in attendance.
CMA Chairperson, Cheryl Winn said, “We will remember Comrades’ origins, owed primarily to the inspiration and tireless efforts of a humble railroad engine driver and soldier, Vic Clapham, who returned from war with the vision of staging a living memorial to the suffering, loss of life, spirit, fortitude and camaraderie of the soldiers with whom he had shared the devastation of World War I.”
Winn added, “A significant aspect of the day is recalling the brave early pioneers – some of whom completed the distance unofficially when the race was restricted exclusively to white males; our winners, heroes and record-breakers who have consistently inspired us with ever-improving competitive performances; and we will celebrate the so-called ‘ordinary runners’ for whom there is nothing at all that is ‘ordinary’ and who embody the spirit of grit, determination, camaraderie, hope and humanity upon which the Comrades Marathon was founded.”
The 34 runners who will be paying tribute to those early pioneers of the Ultimate Human Race are:
| Achievement | Men (25) |
| Winner 1976 – 78 & 80 | Alan Robb |
| Winner 1981 – 88 & 90 | Bruce Fordyce |
| Winner 1991 | Nick Bester |
| Winner 1992 | Jetman Msuthu |
| Winner 1995 | Shaun Meiklejohn |
| Winner 2000/02/04 | Vladimir Kotov |
| Winner 2001 | Andrew Kelehe |
| Winner 2003 | Fusi Nhlapo |
| Winner 2005 | Sipho Ngomane |
| Winner 2012 | Ludwick Mamabolo |
| Winner 2013 | Claude Moshiywa |
| Winner 2015 | Gift Kelehe |
| Winner 2016 | David Gatebe |
| Winner 2019 | Edward Mothibi |
| 47 Medals | Barry Holland |
| 47 Medals | Louis Massyn |
| 42 Medals | Mike Cowling |
| 42 Medals | Wietsche van der Westhuizen |
| 42 Medals | Zwelitsha Gono |
| 42 Medals | Dave Lowe |
| 41 Medals | Tommy Neitski |
| 41 Medals | Dave Williams |
| 40 Medals | Johan van Eeden |
| 40 Medals | Boysie van Staden |
| 40 Medals | Shaun Wood |
| Achievement | Women (9) |
| Winner 1979 | Jan Mallen |
| Winner 1985 – 87 | Helen Lucre |
| Winner 1992 | Francis van Blerk |
| Winner 1993 | Tilda Tearle |
| Winner 1998 | Rae Bisschoff |
| Winner 2015 | Caroline Cherry (Wostmann) |
| Winner 2016 | Charne Bosman |
| 31 Medals | Pat Fisher |
| 30 Medals | Kim Pain |
The occasion’s activities will be live-streamed, and Comrades runners and supporters in South Africa and around the world are invited to follow the day’s proceedings from 09h00 – 15h00 on the Comrades website www.comrades.com, or on Facebook @ComradesMarathon.
20 May 2021
The Marathon 
This is truely a wonderful Tribute to Comrades and all associated with this Ultimate human race to the organisers you have done a Sterling job this is no easy task a very big thank you I am so very proud of my Daughter Kim Pain who had been selected to participate in this prestigious Ttribute Wendy Pain
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