Whatshot

2026
All
September
2025
All
November
All
2024
All
June
All
April
All
2023
All
March
All
2022
All
2021
All
2020
All
March
All
February
All
2019
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
2018
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
2017
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2016
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2015
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
DHS
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2014
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
KZN
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2013
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All
June
All
May
All
April
All
March
All
February
All
January
All
2012
All
December
All
November
All
October
All
September
All
August
All
July
All

46-time Comrades finisher advises athletes to do Durban City Marathon

46-time Comrades finisher advises athletes to do Durban City Marathon

Date: 2019-04-05

Barry Holland has finished the Comrades Marathon more times than any other runner, so if he says Sunday's Durban City Marathon is a perfect qualifier then it is worth taking note.

The fast flat beachfront course for the Durban City Marathon starting and finishing at King's Park Athletic Stadium is considered one of the easier Comrades qualifiers and a perfect chance for runners to get in a long training run. This week Holland endorsed that view.

It seems his opinion is spreading and Durban and KwaZulu-Natal road runners have suddenly woken up to the fact there is a relatively easy Comrades qualifier on their doorstep and entries are pouring in for the Durban City Marathon.

Entries for the flat beachfront race close on Tuesday and over the weekend almost 1000 online entries were received in a flurry of activity.

One person who knows the value of a good preparation better than anybody else is Holland, who holds the record for the most Comrades finishes. The 67-year-old will be attempting his 47th Comrades in June, and just for good measure his wife Debbie will be aiming for her 21st finish. Both will be taking part in the Durban City Marathon on Sunday.

"I have already qualified for Comrades so I do not need a qualifier," said Holland on Monday. "However, I am still doing this race because it is such an ideal training run for athletes who are taking part in the Comrades.

"It is an ideal qualifier - it is a two lapper that is flat, so it is a hell of an easy qualifier and anybody who is thinking of doing Comrades should be able to go under the four hours 50 needed to qualify.

"My whole club, Dolphin Coast Striders, is coming along and we will be running in a 4:30 bus. There is a great atmosphere and this makes for a really nice training run. Most Comrades runners will be planning a 45km run around this time so we will be doing a three- or four-kilometre warmup and then using the marathon as our long training run for the weekend.

"It just works so well on so many levels."

Remarkably Holland has finished his 46 Comrades consecutively, which is ample proof that he knows how to prepare for the Comrades without suffering injuries. So, when he says the Durban City Marathon is a perfect Comrades qualifier, it is worth taking note.

The Durban City Marathon offers a standard 42,2km distance for those looking to get their Comrades times, as well as a half-marathon 21,1km distance and a 10km event.

Late entries for all the Durban City Marathon events will be taken at race number collection at King's Park Athletics Stadium on Friday April 5 (10am to 4pm) or Saturday April 6 (10am to 2pm).

For more race details and bank details visit the websitewww.durbancitymarathon.co.za.