No vodka for Comrades

By Iqbal Khan, Nondumiso Mbuyazi and Arthi Sanpath

Police are using Sunday's Comrades Marathon as a dress rehearsal for law enforcement challenges they will face in next year's World Cup tournament.

But likely to create irritation among spectators braaiing and watching along the route is a stern warning from them that they will crack down on anyone drinking in public.



While police were today putting the finishing touches to their plans, the "Red Brigade" was once again favoured to dominate Sunday's down run.

Among the Russian athletes flying in to Johannesburg today will be defending champion Leonid Shvetsov, who became the first ultramarathon athlete to hold the down and up run titles since the golden days when the Comrades Marathon was dominated by South Africa's Bruce Fordyce.

Russian twins Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva, who have dominated the race since 2003, are the hot favourites to win the women's title again.

But they will need to watch out for Maryna Bychkova and Tatyana Zhirkova, who have been consistent performers in the Comrades in the past few years.

On the same flight as Shvetsov will be Oleg Kharitonov and Grigory Murzin.

All three are key members of the Nedbank Running Club.

"Yes, they will only arrive in Johannesburg early today," said Nick Bester, the director of the Nedbank Running Club.

"It's the norm for these top athletes as they do not want to leave their training camps early. They continue to work to the last minute as they have become accustomed to the routine over the past few months. They will be okay when they eventually land in Durban later today."

According to Bester, Shvetsov is reportedly in good health and is fitter than he has ever been for the 89.3km KwaZulu-Natal epic.

With that in mind, the tall Russian, a doctor by profession, could be eyeing yet another record this time round.

Last year he smashed Vladimir Kotov's eight-year up-run record by 47 seconds, and the year before he shattered the myth that tall and gangly men can't win the down run, smashing Fordyce's 21-year record by three minutes.

His biggest threat comes from team-mates Kharitonov and Murzin - they were in the top 10 last year. Murzin was runner-up to Shvetsov in 2007.

Meanwhile, the SAPS and Metro Police said that should anyone be found in possession of alcohol in public during the day-long race, they would be arrested.

Thousands of police officers would be deployed between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

Police spokesperson Captain Khephu Ndlovu said the police would be out in full force to ensure the safety of runners and supporters.

"If people drink alcohol, we will arrest them. If they misbehave, we will also arrest them.

"We don't want any hiccups as this is not only a South African event, but we also have people from abroad participating, and they will be checking our readiness for next year's Soccer World Cup," he said.

Metro Police spokesperson Superintendent Joyce Khuzwayo said: "We know people will be in a jolly mood, but they must not drink at the event because they will be arrested. They can have a party once they are safely back at their homes."

Ndlovu urged spectators not to leave valuable items such as laptops, cameras or cash in their cars.

"(After) the Sharks and Blue Bulls game at the weekend, many people complained of valuable items being stolen from their cars during the game.

"We will strive to ensure that none of that happens during the Comrades," Ndlovu said.

Khuzwayo also advised people not to leave their homes empty, as this would be an open invitation for criminals to pounce.

"Criminals are also aware of the Comrades, so they will try to use the opportunity to break into people's homes.

"Families going to the Comrades must at least have a housekeeper to keep guard while they're out," she said.

She added that police would be dispatched widely during the race.

"In the past there have been instances where runners were robbed of their watches during the race, so we will ensure that everyone is safe," she said.

Sunday promises to be a sunny day.

The Durban Weather Office says they expect good weather for the day, starting at 11°C in Pietermaritzburg with fog patches and peaking at 26°C in Durban.

• This article was originally published on page 1 of The Daily News on May 22, 2009