Comrades Marathon – AIMS 30th Anniversary Awards Gala : CMA receives award

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has received an international award after being selected for Ultra-Special Recognition at the 2012 AIMS (Association of International Marathons and Distance Races) Annual Awards and 30th Anniversary Gala on Friday, 9 November 2013 in Athens, Greece.

At the Awards Gala, AIMS chose to highlight the contributions of the world’s oldest marathons from five world regions to the sport of road running.  The Comrades Marathon of course received the award for being the oldest marathon and ultra-marathon on the African continent. CMA Board Member Peter Proctor will travel to Athens to accept the award on behalf of the CMA.

The Comrades Marathon enjoys it’s prestige as the world’s oldest ultra-marathon and of all the marathons run globally, it comes third only to the Boston and Yonkers Marathons – of the USA – in terms of age. Therefore, the Comrades Marathon rightfully claims its place at the main table of the world’s greatest marathons and ultra-distance races.

In addition to the noteworthy recognition at the AIMS Awards Gala, the CMA has revelled in quite a few Firsts for Africa for hosting international running events on our shores in recent years. It was chosen to host the highly successful 2012 AIMS Children’s Series Race in the beautiful City of Durban on 2 June this year and will host the event on behalf of AIMS for a further two years.

Left to Right: Gary Boshoff (CMA General Manager and AIMS Executive Board Member); Dave Cundy (AIMS Vice-President); Peter Proctor (CMA Board Member); Paco Borao (AIMS President); Martha Morales (AIMS Vice-President)

The CMA was also recently awarded the hosting rights for the inaugural AIMS Regional Conference which will be held in The City of Choice – Pietermartizburg – in February 2013 as well as the prominent AIMS World Congress which will take place in Durban in May 2014. This congress, the first of its kind to be held on the African continent will see delegates from over 300 AIMS affiliated running events from all over the globe descend on Durban. 

Accepting the award on behalf of the CMA, former CMA Chairman and present Board Member, Peter Proctor dedicated the award to Vic Clapham, the founder of the Comrades Marathon.  Addressing an audience which included Race Directors from 52 AIMS affiliated races worldwide and local political and sports leaders, Proctor highlighted the fact that the Comrades Marathon was started as a remembrance to the soldiers who perished during WWI.

CMA General Manager Gary Boshoff, who is also an Executive Board Member of AIMS, described the Award as "due recognition of the Comrades Marathon, not only as the Oldest Marathon on the African continent but also as the oldest and biggest ultra-marathon in the world; and the third oldest marathon in the world after The Boston and Yonkers Marathons in the USA".

"It was indeed  a proud moment for the CMA to represent the legacy of Vic Clapham and South Africa at this prestigious AIMS International Awards Gala, in Athens, Greece, the birth place of the Marathon 2 502 years ago.  The global family of road running recognised the Comrades Marathon as a pioneer of the running movement and we were privileged to accept the award on behalf of all South Africans", added Boshoff.

CMA Chairman, Dave Dixon articulates the resounding sentiment of the Comrades Marathon team, “Receiving this prestigious acknowledgement from AIMS is a significant achievement in the history of the Comrades Marathon and is further evidence of the exciting times that lie ahead for the CMA and ‘The Ultimate Human Race.’ We are grateful for this accolade and thank everyone who has had a hand in making Comrades the success story that it is today”.

Together with the Comrades Marathon and the continent of Africa, the leading marathons from Europe (Kosice Marathon, Slovakia), Asia (Fukuoka Marathon, Japan) and Oceania (Rotorua Marathon, New Zealand) will also be recognised for their involvement in promoting the sport of running in their respective regions.

In addition, AIMS will also honour those athletes who have achieved the fastest finishes in 2012 for a marathon, a half marathon and a 10km race respectively as well as life-time awards to leading administrators and achievers in the sport of road running.

Source: Comrades Marathon