Comrades Marathon qualifying comes into question today on the Ask Coach Parry Podcast. With the Comrades Marathon Association having changed the qualifying criteria slightly – not so much by what you have to do but rather by when you have to do it. Can you go into some of the detail around the thinking as to why that’s changed?

Brad Brown: Comrades Marathon qualifying comes into question today on the Ask Coach Parry Podcast. With the Comrades Marathon Association having changed the qualifying criteria slightly – not so much by what you have to do but rather by when you have to do it. Can you go into some of the detail around the thinking as to why that’s changed?

Lindsey Parry: The 2015 Comrades Marathon qualifying dates run from the 1^st of August 2014 right  up to the 4^th of May 2015. So there is still a long time. I suppose the two major changes to look at are number 1; you can’t use comrades race itself for a qualifier. And number two; in the past you could use any event straight after comrades to qualify – in other words you would have had June and July as well for qualifying and now you don’t.

The reason for the change in Comrades Marathon qualifying

The thinking is twofold: firstly the finishing rates have started to decline slightly since we allowed entries without having to do another qualifier. So in the interest of the safety of the runner, The Comrades Marathon wants to make sure that you have done a qualifier within a reasonable time of Comrades Marathon race day to prove you have the fitness required.

Secondly, the clubs around South Africa have always been exceptionally good to the Comrades Marathon and Comrades wants to give back by supporting the qualifying races. By making sure that everyone has to qualify, that will ensure that all the runners around the country – the 23 000 that they are going to allow next year –all have to run a marathon somewhere in the country.

I guess that is Comrades’ way of giving back and saying thank you.