The Idiots Guide to the Domicilium Rule (also applicable to KZNA & interim CMA Board members)

KZNA is trying to illegally make CMA membership 'locals only'.
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If you’ve been following the current Comrades saga where unelected officials seem hell bent on preventing members of the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) from exercising their democratic rights, you will no doubt have heard reference to the ‘Domicilium Rule’. The ‘Domicilium Rule’ rule is being used as the rationale for the ‘locals only’ decree that KwaZulu Natal Athletics (KZNA) and certain members of the interim (and largely unelected) CMA Boards are pushing.

The ‘Domicilium Rule’ seems to leave interviewers in the media perplexed (which is understandable since they are not experts on the subject) but that similarly KZNA and interim CMA Board members either do not understand the rule themselves or are deceitfully and dishonestly obfuscating its proper application and enforcement should be of grave concern to the running community and public.

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Corruption, Maladministration & Incompetence: A Comrades Charge Sheet

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One of the outcomes from the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Special General Meeting (SGM) held on 15 August was the passing of a resolution for the appointment of an independent committee to investigate the Community Marshals Portfolio, and to report its findings to the board, which report is to be published to members. Furthermore, it was agreed that the investigation was to be conducted by a retired judge.

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Great Kei Marathon (Kei Mouth to mouth resuscitation)

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Running marathons in the Eastern Cape is always a pleasant experience. They possess the charm and character of a big club run with plenty of chatter and everyone seems to know everyone else. The sentiment is further enhanced with many of the support tables being enthusiastically crewed by ‘rival’ running clubs.

The support tables of East London races provide enthusiastic support and are always well stocked.
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KZNA Gets Another High Court Smackdown

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KwaZulu Natal Athletics, under the presidency of Steve Mkasi, suffered another embarrassing legal defeat today at the Pietermaritzburg High Court after trying to get the urgent interdict allowing non-KZN residents to participate and vote in Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) matters dismissed. In what can be seen as a victory for the democratic process, Acting Justice Khuzwayo ruled in favour of the CMA Members which means that the urgent interdict remains in place and all CMA Members can participate at the forthcoming AGM due to be held on 30 November.

The case between the CMA and KZNA returned to the high court this morning. The CMA Members, represented by attorney Mark Leathers and advocate Cas Pretorious (both of whom are Comrades runners), had originally received an urgent interdict on 14 August to allow non-KZN residents to attend and vote at the Comrades SGM which was held on 15 August.

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The Rise of the Cape Town Marathon

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In 2023 the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon became the first standard marathon in South Africa to crack the 10,000 finisher mark. The previous record was held by the Soweto Marathon with 9,274 finishers in 2019. Yesterday, Cape Town Marathon cemented its place on the top of the finisher’s table with 16,351 finishers – a massive jump of over 3,000 additional runners.

A comparison between the big four marathon events in South Africa makes for some interesting analysis. Cape Town Marathon has consistently been the most runner centric and best organised of the big four and this shows in their finisher numbers.

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Comrades 2025 Record Alert (and the Comrades 2024 record that went unnoticed)

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Iain Morshead from the Fordyce Fusion team contacted me asking,

“One of our athletes is an outstanding soon to be 70-year-old woman who ran an astonishing 9h08 on the up this year.

We have approached the CMA to establish what the record is, but they have so far, not been able to assist.

Given your insight into Comrades statistics, are you perhaps able to identify the existing women’s 50+ and 70+ records?”

This is exactly the kind of stat that fascinates me so naturally I was happy to oblige*.

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Musina Marathon (Borderline crazy)

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The inaugural Musina Marathon held in the northern extremities of Limpopo was the only marathon in the whole of South Africa over the entire weekend of 7-8 September. Musina is a stone’s throw from the Zimbabwean border and the last town on the N1 before hitting the Beit Bridge border post and crossing the Limpopo River.

Musina is where the devil spends his winters when he wants to warm up. It’s a place where your entry level sunblock is Factor 50. Legend has it that a Scotsman visiting Musina made the fatal mistake of sitting down on the pavement and ended up with hard boiled eggs in under three minutes. In other words, this is a fantastic place for a connoisseur to run a marathon.

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Blouberg Marathon (Bayesian instinct)

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When Dewey Bunnell, the lead singer of the band America, sang “I’ve been through the desert on a horse with no name, it felt good to be out of the rain”, I would not be surprised if he was inspired after experiencing a Cape Town winter.

I spent the first 21 years of my life in Cape Town before moving up to Johannesburg. People often ask, “Don’t you miss Cape Town?” There are definitely things to miss about the Mother City but a Cape Town winter is not one of them.

Blouberg is perhaps the most appropriate location in the country to run into a stiff head wind.
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