Comrades Marathon ballot adds new stress to runners’ dreams

Completing the Comrades Marathon has always been as much emotional and psychological as it is physical.

Runners have to discipline themselves to put in the many hours on the road in training, the pre-dawn starts, the diet-watching.

Families have had to put up with disruption, mood swings and depression as the task sometimes threatens to become overwhelming.

To that, you must now add the unprecedented stress of realising there is a good chance you may not be lucky enough to start at all if your name doesn’t come up in the draw in the new ballot system.

For the 2027 race, there are a record 28 000 places available, but indications are that there are so many applicants, thousands will be disappointed.

Sadly, that’s because the Comrades has become a victim of its own success: apart from the seductive hype around one of the world’s iconic athletic events, the relaxed cut-offs (from 11 to 12 hours) and qualification times have made the Durban-Maritzburg classic more accessible and appealing to a wider calibre of runners.

So, while the race may still be the solitary battle between you and the road, you’ve also got to contend with the vagaries of luck.

Some might ask if it’s worth it.