Comrades Day and our guests are there

It's the Comrades Marathon along the route from Pietermaritzburg tomorrow. Good luck to our guests Jan, Richard and Zander who will be making the over 85km downhill run to the finish in Durban. Some 18 000 runners will be competing this year and I have watched the race from alongside the road since I was a kid at school. It's South Africa's premier ultra-marathon and is up there as one of the world's best and reknowned races. We will be at the finish this year, so looking forward to seeing some stunning performances and to cheer our brother-in-law Matt to the finish as well as hoping to see our guests cross the line. 

Comrades today

 

Good luck to cousins Gary and Matt (below) seen here in a pic at the Comrades Wall with their plaques halfway along the 87km route of the Comrades Marathon before the big day. The race started this morning at 5.30am and Llewellyn drove them down to the start. It's become a tradition for the two to come stay over at the guesthouse the night before the uprun, as we are just a few kilometres away from the start and unwind, enjoy a few beers and get their heads in order for the race. Both runners are going for a silver medal today which would be an incredible achievement only obtained by the top 450 or so runners out of a field of 17 000 - coming in in less than 7 1/2 hours to qualify.

 

Guests finish the Comrades

Guesthouse partners Dave and Llewellyn were on hand at the Finish of the Comrades Marathon with family and friends to see brother-in-law and guests finish this 89km ultra-marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Congrats Matt (Johannesburg) and Kieron (Australia) who both completed their second (back-to-back - Durban to Pmb and Pmb to Durban) Comrades in consecutive years.

Go Comrades Go!

 The 4am alarm got us up in time to get our Comrades runner guests down to the Start of this years 89km Durban to Pietermaritzburg run. In the top photo Zander and Richard from New York leave the Guesthouse on a crisp, clear and slightly chilly dark morning raring to go.

At right, cousins Matt and Gary also got off to the start and were ceded right up there with the top groups.

In the bottom photo, guesthouse co-owner Llwellyn was thankful he was not running to Pmb and surveys the debris after the thick column of runners had crossed the Start. Good luck guys - Durban gave you an awesome sendoff!

It's Comrades in Durban

 It's the 89km Comrades Marathon tomorrow and we have runners in the house from  New York and Johannesburg. Getting together with family and friends last night for drinks in the Guesthouse and carbo-loading out are Johannesburg runners Gary and Matt with Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn (top photo) and they are joined in the second photo by Richard and Zander from New York who have an impressive 80 marathons under their belt (or shoes..ha ha) including the Antartica Marathon and the Boston Marathon.

Eating out they are joined by Jaco, Kate and Debbie and my hand is in the last photo (left) as we chug down a shooter to wish the runners well. The Comrades Marathon is an uprun this year from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and is one of the world's few ultra-ultra marathons with an impressive field of some 20000 runners.

Comrades in Durban 29 May

The annual Comrades Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg is an uprun this year and we will be going down at the crack of dawn to watch the start. So if you're running, come stay with us and the other runners at the Guesthouse and we will get you to the start, or come see you off.

We also have an accommodation special "running" for entrants, so if you'd like to come stay and pay for 2 nights, we will give you a third night free. This will give you a chance to acclimatise in Durban and also wind down and relax after the big event. We can even arrange a massage for those weary muscles.

Bookings are now open for the weekend Fri 27 to Sun 29 May by email on durbanview@gmail.com