Department of Defence participation in Comrades Marathon 2009

The Department of Defence (DOD) athletes will once again participate in the 90 kilometre Comrades Marathon on the 24 May 2009, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. A total of 190 DOD runners will participate in the race, among them 22 ladies. The DOD, including the Reserve Force Club Natal Carbineers as a combined club, is among the top ten clubs for this year’s marathon. A total of 12 890 athletes will participate in the race of which 600 are foreign athletes and 2402 are novice runners doing the comrades for the first time.

This year's comrades mark the 25th consecutive participation of Col Zirk Lourens and Mr Richard Hammill. A total of 19 athletes who will be participating have already completed more than ten Comrades Marathons.

The Defence Force will have a special stand at The Sahara Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban, where all the families and friends of the runners can get together to watch as the runners enter the stadium. The stand can be identified by the National and South African National Defence Force (SANDF) flags, which will be hoisted in front of the stand for easy identification. Lt Col Craig-Mackie and his team from the KwaZulu-Natal Military Athletic Club will manage the stand and also provide warm soup to the athletes.

As in the past, Col Zirk Lourens will liaise with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) Television (TV) for coverage and conduct a live interview on television after the race at approximately 15h30. This will enhance the corporate image of the DOD with respect to the comrades and to capture DOD participation in the comrades. A radio interview is also planned. Members from the Area Military Health Unit KwaZulu-Natal will provide a water point route and physiotherapy services at the SANDF stand located at the finishing area. They will assist runners in need of medical attention on completion of the race. The SA Soldier will also be present to capture the event for later publication.

The Acting Secretary for Defence, SANDF and members of the Defence Staff Council, as well as the management of the SANDF Road Runners Association, wish all runners a successful race. We trust that they will achieve their personal goals for the day and once again do us proud.

Any enquiries in this regard may be directed to:
Col Zirk Lourens
PRO for Comrades Marathon 2009
Tel: 012 674 6502
Fax: 012 674 6561
Cell: 083 501 3640

Source: Department of Defence (http://www.dod.mil.za)


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