Comrades Marathon start or finish line is near to The Riverside Hotel
The Comrades Marathon is an ultramarathon of approximately 89 km which is run annually in the KwaZulu-Natal Province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is the world’s largest and oldest ultramarathon race. The direction of the race alternates each year between the “up” run (87 km) starting from Durban and the “down” run (89 km) starting from Pietermaritzburg.
The field is capped at 20,000 runners, and entrants hail from more than 60 countries. In all but three runnings since 1988, over 10,000 runners have reached the finish within the allowed 11 or 12 hours. With increased participation since the 1980s, the average finish times for both genders, and the average age of finishers have increased substantially.
Runners over the age of 20 qualify when they are able to complete an officially recognised marathon (42.2 km) in under five hours. During the event an athlete must also reach five cut-off points in specified times to complete the race. The spirit of the Comrades Marathon is said to be embodied by attributes of camaraderie, selflessness, dedication, perseverance, and ubuntu.
The Comrades was run for the first time on 24 May 1921 (Empire Day), and with the exception of a break during World War II, has been run every year since. The 2010 event was the 85th race. To date, over 300,000 runners have completed the race.
The race was the idea of World War I veteran Vic Clapham, to commemorate the South African soldiers killed during the war. Clapham, who had endured a 2,700-kilometre route march through sweltering German East Africa, wanted the memorial to be a unique test of the physical endurance of the entrants. The constitution of the race states that one of its primary aims is to “celebrate mankind’s spirit over adversity”.
Source: Wikipedia, Comrades
The Riverside Hotel Complex
Set just 20 minutes’ drive from King Shaka International Airport and 5 minutes’ drive from the city centre of Durban, The Riverside Hotel reflects a resort life in the city.The Riverside Hotel offers 168 superbly appointed bedrooms as well as an onsite restaurant and state of the art conference facility. The Riverside Grill offers a mouth-watering menu and furnishings that have been designed to offer our guests a luxurious and relaxed environment. We have paired luxury dining with poolside relaxation, breath-taking scenery & open-planned settings. We invite you to experience the perfect day with friends, family or business partners.
SERVICE
The Riverside Hotel is a full-service hotel. Facilities available include, but are not limited to, 24 hour reception, conference facilities, room service, laundry, mini gym, The Riverside Grill restaurant, shuttle and much more. Discover it for yourself today and drive on down to the Riverside Hotel
ATTRACTIONS
At The Riverside Hotel, the possibilities are endless: Visit uShaka Marine World, the enormous Gateway Theatre of Shopping, Umgeni Bird Park, play a round of golf at the Windsor Golf Course, or catch a game at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. Whatever you’re into, you’ll find it situated within a few minutes drive.