November 2024 - The Running Mann

30th November 20241st December 2024

CMA 2024 AGM: Live Blog

This page will be used to provide live updates on the voting, motions and discussions from the 2024 Comrades Marathon Association Annual General Meeting due to start at 10am SAST. Refresh page for latest updates…

That’s over an out after an almost 8 hour AGM. I’ll write up a summary tomorrow.

Top five get two year terms, next two get a one year term. This is a great new Board!

Here’s the final results

Mark Leathers 278

Willie Mtolo 254

Mqondisi Ngcobo 240

Brenda Marolen 240

Carel Nolte 228

Rory Steyn 222

Alan Gray 207

27th November 202427th November 2024

What’s on the agenda? CMA AGM on 30 November

Whilst most of the focus has been on the nominees for the seven available Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board position at the Annual General Meeting (AGM), there are some other important motions to be discussed and voted for at the 30 November meeting.

FINAL NOTICE AND AGENDA – CMA AGM 2024 Download

Below are details of the CMA constitutional amendment motions, standard motions and consideration for the financial statements.

25th November 202425th November 2024

14 Names, 7 Positions: CMA Board elections on 30 November

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Annual General Meeting (AGM) to be held on 30 November promises to be a watershed in the renaissance of the event that has been mired in controversies resulting from a string of illogical and inexplicable decisions in recent years and is still reeling from well-founded allegations of corruption, maladministration and ineptitude amongst certain staff and Board members.

Seven of the nine elected Board positions are up for election. Both Board incumbents who were standing for re-election have been withdrawn from the ballot: Sweetname Nkibande because he was not eligible as he is not a member in good standing and Celi Makhoba for reasons unknown. Therefore it will be a CMA Board with a very different composition for the 2025 event.

23rd November 202423rd November 2024

Product Review: Boonies sunglasses

I am not sure whether Theo Pretorius saw one of my finish line photos and thought that I needed a sunglasses upgrade or whether he was just concerned for my safety when running in KwaZulu Natal and wanted to give me more anonymity. Regardless, he popped me a message saying that his company has just launched a new running sunglasses brand called Boonies together with the offer, “Would you like to try a couple of pairs?”

The Boonies range comes in three attractive styles and enough lens colours to pair with any club running kit.

21st November 202421st November 2024

How James Jimmied the Comrades Books

Overview: In a recent article, I provided well substantiated evidence about how Rowyn James facilitated highly irregular “Management Fee” payments to finish line volunteer Chris Lombard (who was also the seconder on James’ CMA Board nomination form). This follow-on article provides details of exactly how the allegedly fraudulent payments were done and how finish line casual labourers were exploited.

After allegations of fraudulent payments surfaced, Rowyn James had a conversation with former Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Vice Chair and current Head of the Finance Committee, Les Burnard. In the conversation, James attempted to provide an explanation for the irregular “Management Fee” payments to volunteer Chris Lombard.

James claimed that the payments to Lombard were ‘approved by the Board in 2018’. This was categorically denied by Cheryl Winn, the CMA Chairperson at the time. Board and Finance Committee minutes from 2018 have been checked and there is no record of any approval to pay Lombard. There is also no one I have spoken to within the CMA leadership structures who recalls any discussion about paying Lombard.

14th November 20248th December 2024

Complete 2025 South African Road Marathon & Ultra Calendar

This article contains high level details and, where available, flyers, profiles and route maps for every 2025 South African road marathon and ultra. Updates will be made regularly as races are added, cancelled and confirmed.

The 2025 calendar is brought to you by RaceSpace – the app that has every running and endurance event in the country at your fingertips. RaceSpace are covering some of my marathon running travel costs in 2025 – you can support me and the site by downloading the RaceSpace app on Apple, Android or by using the QR Code below.

13th November 202413th November 2024

The 2023 Marathon & Ultra Statistics

This article provides statistics and analysis of South Africa’s 2023 marathon and ultra road running season. Comparisons are made to 2019 (pre-Covid) and 2022 (first full post-Covid season).

Total Events

There were a total of 114 events, comprising 93 standard marathons and 23 ultras and. This is just below the 2019 number of 119 events but a big increase from the 2022 number of 99 events.

11th November 202421st November 2024

Systemic Corruption at Comrades: Former Manager made Irregular Payments & Assaulted Comrades Legend

After Rowyn James was announced as one of the 21 nominees for the 7 vacant Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board positions, I received a tip off that, during his time as the Comrades Race Manager, James had made “secret” payments. The payments were made to Chris Lombard, a volunteer who was the finish line convenor, and were not sanctioned. Furthermore, Lombard was the seconder on James’ CMA Board nomination form.

The source provided me with the names of 4 senior staff and stakeholders with whom I could verify that the illicit payments occurred. Three have confirmed that an irregular and unsanctioned 5-figure “Management Fee” was paid annually to Lombard. The fourth has read my messages but has not replied. One of the sources did explain that the payment would ‘need to have been signed off’ but could not explain the ‘serious irregularity’ of a volunteer being paid.

9th November 202410th November 2024

MadMac Marathon (a cure for coulrophobia)

[MARATHON #274 / UNIQUE MARATHON #168 / 6 October 2024]

Between Comrades and Two Oceans, I have spent a lot of time this year writing about clowns. You could say I was acquiring a severe case of coulrophobia – which is of course the fear of clowns. However, I seem to have developed a unique strain called antici-coulrophobia – which is a fear about what the aforementioned clowns will do or say next (and then I have to spend a great deal of time writing about it).

Fortunately, I was confident that I could find a 100% successful cure for extreme antici-coulrophobia by facing my fears head on and self-medicating at the clown-themed MadMac Marathon. The theme was chosen as the race venue is the site of the old Boswell Wilkie Circus in Randvaal and there is still plenty of circus apparatus and remnants of the now defunct circus around.

Fitting right in: Julian Karp has promised to dye his hair for next year’s race.

8th November 202421st November 2024

Comrades Board nominees: A light at the end of the tunnel?

After all the controversy surrounding Board level corruption, maladministration and incompetence, the announced list of Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Board nominees was eagerly anticipated.

The good news is that there is plenty of choice with 21 nominees for the 7 available Board positions including plenty of fresh blood amongst a handful of the usual suspects. I have grouped the nominees into three categories and provided some context below.