Race 4 Comrades Charities and secure C seeding

With entries for the 97th edition of the Comrades Marathon now open, runners have begun the journey to 9 June 2024. And with the field limited to 23 000 participants, securing an entry is the first obstacle that prospective Comrades medalists must overcome. For example, within just 24 hours of entries opening on 21 November, over 8000 2024 Comrades hopefuls had already entered the 90km race from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. And even if you manage to get an entry, slower runners are forced to start at the back of the field losing precious minutes before even crossing the start line outside the Durban City Hall.

Dean Wight has raised millions of Rands for Comrades charities. Photo Credit: MWMedia.

One way to ensure a better seeding is to run for one of the official Comrades charities. In 2022, The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) reserved 500 entries for official charity runners, who need to raise at least R6,000 each in order to be included in the official Comrades Race For Charity. Raising R6000 or more will ensure that they get to start in the C batch near the front of the field on race day.

One such runner is Dean Wight who has raised millions of Rands for Comrades charities over the years. This year, he raised more than R470-thousand for the Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust and was honoured with GEMS The Spirit of Comrades Award. Dean says, “I would like thank the Comrades Marathon Association for putting on an extraordinary event that allows us to reach our dreams and has further created a platform for us to add value to people’s lives and help one another. I plan to continue my Comrades running and fundraising journey into 2024 and beyond.”

The 2023 race raised almost R5 million rand was raised for Comrades charities. Photo Credit: CMA Media.

Since inception in 1996, the Comrades Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive has raised more than R71-million for the CMA’s official charities. In 2023 a total of R4,945,096 raised. The newly selected charities for 2024 are Childhood Cancer Foundation SA (CHOC), Childline KwaZulu-Natal, Community Chest of Pietermaritzburg & Durban, Hillcrest AIDS Centre Trust, Rise Against Hunger and SANParks Honorary Rangers.

CMA Chairperson Mnqodisi Ngcobo has called on all runners to support the incredible work of the CMA in raising funds for charity, saying, “It is incumbent upon us to contribute to the welfare of those who need our compassion and generosity. I personally urge all aspirant 2024 entrants to select the Official Comrades Charity closest to your heart and run your 2024 Comrades in honour of a special cause. Together, we can do so much more to benefit the communities in which we operate and add value to our chosen sport of road running.”