COMRADES MARATHON – CMA Race Director’s Media Briefing

CMA Race Director, Johan Van Staden has briefed the media on preparations for the 88^th Comrades Marathon which starts outside Durban’s City Hall at 05h30 this Sunday, 2 June 2013.

Van Staden says the official route distance for this year’s up-run is 86.863km. Along the route will be 48 fully stocked refreshment stations, containing water, fruit, energy drinks, energy bars, chocolates, biscuits and cooked potatoes. These stations will be powered by nearly 5000 volunteers.

 100 community marshalls will assist 652 SAPS officials, Metro Police, the CMA’s  security service provider, Bhejane Security and other law enforcement officials on Race Day. Van Staden says that the SAPS Bomb Squad personnel will carry out bomb sweeps at the Comrades Start and Finish Venues before and during the race, as has happened over the past two decades.
 
Extensive medical, emergency, first aid and physiotherapy provisions for its thousands of participants have also been put in place. Sponsored by Netcare 911, these much-needed medical amenities will be made available at strategic positions along the nearly 87km Comrades route and at the finish venue, being the Oval Cricket Stadium in Pietermaritzburg.
 
This comprises eight physiotherapy stations, a fleet of ambulances, several rapid response vehicles as well as numerous paramedics. In addition, a dedicated emergency helicopter that ensures immediate medical assistance for runners should the need arise.
 
This will be controlled by the Joint Operations Control (JOC), based at the finish venue, which is equipped with 8 computers, a full complement of committed personnel to operate and record all details and dispatch vehicles, as and when necessary.
 
The Netcare 911 Medical Emergency Number to remember is 082 911. This should be used for all calls for medical assistance for runners, upon which the calls will be routed direct to the Medical JOC.
 
There are eight Netcare 911 Physio/ First Aid Stations which incorporate qualified physiotherapists, professional nurses and paramedical staff. These stations can treat minor medical problems, as well as blood sugar testing and further used to treat or stabilize runners until the arrival of ambulances. Physio students will also be positioned at certain refreshment stations along the route and a physio tent is set up at the finish.  
 
Headed by the CMA’s Chief Medic, Dr Jeremy Boulter, the extensive Adcock Ingram Critical Care Medical Tent at the finish is equally equipped to handle just about any medical eventuality. It comprises 90 doctors and interns, 20 nurses and a mini laboratory, courtesy of Ampath Laboratories.
 
Other facilities at the Tent include a 3-bed fully equipped ICU-type resuscitation area, which comprises its own specialist emergency team to provide appropriate emergency care if required.
 
A critical care emergency facility right on the finish line has also been set up in order for athletes to access on-the-spot medical help if needed. This is staffed by an emergency care doctor and a paramedic. The purpose of this specific medical facility is to have in place a primary, emergency resuscitation area if a runner is in severe trouble at the finish, and requires immediate care, prior to being transferred to the medical tent.
 
Additionally, an advanced life support paramedic will be stationed along, or at the end of the Toyota Mile, for the purposes of responding to calls to runners in that area who are in trouble before they enter the stadium.
 
Add to all of the above facilities, the St. John’s Ambulance Tent. Here, runners can access such facilities as R&R, rub-downs, strapping, massage and the like.
 
The Netcare group of hospitals will be providing the required facilities for Comrades day. To this end, the St. Augustines Hospital in Durban will be utilized for those runners who require hospitalization before halfway.
 
For those runners in the second half of the race and at the finish, the referral hospital in Pietermaritzburg is St. Annes. Please note that runners with Medical Aid may be charged at Medical Aid rates and those without, will be treated free of charge for a maximum of 24 hours, thanks to Netcare.
 
Nearly 25,000 people are expected to descend on the Finish Venue while around 250,000 will once again line the route and cheer the runners.
 
Van Staden says, ‘We have catered in every possible way to make the 2013 Comrades Marathon a magnificent experience for our runners. We wish all participants a great run on Race Day.’
 
 
Statement issued by the CMA Media Officer, Delaine Cools on Thursday, 30 May 2013