The Comrades Marathon
After the war ended, Clapham wanted to establish a memorial to the suffering and deaths of his comrades during the war, and their camaraderie in overcoming these hardships. He conceived of an extremely demanding race where the physical endurance of entrants could be put to the test.
Clapham asked for permission to stage a 56 mile race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban under the name of the Comrades Marathon, and for it to become a living memorial to the spirit of the soldiers of the Great War.
Permission was at first refused but was eventually granted. The first Comrades Marathon took place on 24 May 1921, Empire Day, starting outside the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg with 34 runners. It has been run every year since then, except for the years 1941-1945 during the Second World War.
The constitution of the race today states that one of its primary aims is to "celebrate mankind's spirit over adversity".
Copper medals - known as the Vic Clapham medal - go to those athletes who finish the race between 11 and 12 hours.
Read more about this topic: Vic Clapham
Famous quotes containing the words comrades and/or marathon:
“Is anyone afraid or disheartened? He should go back to his house, or he might cause the heart of his comrades to melt like his own.”
—Bible: Hebrew, Deuteronomy 20:8.
“In their eyes I have seen
the pin men of madness in marathon trim
race round the track of the stadium pupil.”
—Patricia K. Page (b. 1916)