Foreword
Over the past few editions of Comrades, I’ve had quite a bit to write about after the event. This year it was a pleasant change to be able to focus on the statistics and a few runner stories rather than the controversies. Yes, there were a few issues and several people have asked if I’ll be writing about them. My reply has been “Yes, but it’s not time critical.”
The big difference this year was that the CMA board took accountability of the issues, apologised and (in my opinion) are serious about addressing them in 2026. This makes a stark contrast to previous years when the approach has been to deny, stonewall and wait for things to die down before the carpets are lifted and fervent sweeping occurs.
By far the biggest issue was the finish area. I generally tackle issues that are not getting mainstream press attention and the street finish got plenty of coverage. The other two issues I’ve decided to focus on, based on the number of messages and comments that I’ve seen and received, are the missing elite tables and the allegedly contaminated water sachets.
Continue reading “The Three Big Problems at Comrades 2025”
