Brad Segers, who is an expat South African living in Perth Australia, submitted his question today on the Ask Coach Parry Podcast. Brad is planning on running the 2015 Comrades Marathon and this is what he had to say:

Hi I live in Perth Australia and love listening to your podcasts, they’re extremely informative. My question is I am about to register to run the Comrades Marathon for 2015. As a South African living abroad do I enter the Comrades Marathon as a South African or an international runner? An entry for a South African for the Comrades Marathon is R330, but as an international Comrades Marathon runner it's R2000 which is a big difference.

Would I have to do my Comrades Marathon qualifying run in South Africa if I am able to enter Comrades as a South African?

Brad Brown: Brad Segers, who is an expat South African living in Perth Australia, submitted his question today on the Ask Coach Parry Podcast. Brad is planning on running the 2015 Comrades Marathon and this is what he had to say:

Hi I live in Perth Australia and love listening to your podcasts, they’re extremely informative. My question is I am about to register to run the Comrades Marathon for 2015. As a South African living abroad do I enter the Comrades Marathon as a South African or an international runner? An entry for a South African for the Comrades Marathon is R330, but as an international Comrades Marathon runner it's R2000 which is a big difference.

Would I have to do my Comrades Marathon qualifying run in South Africa if I am able to enter Comrades as a South African?

You don't need to qualify to run the Comrades Marathon in South Africa

Lindsey Parry:To answer the technical question there, no he does not have to qualify in South Africa. However, if he is entering as a South African, I do think he needs to be a member of a South African road running club with a South African  road running license.

Which would mean that he would need a local address. There are a couple of perks entering as an international: you get easier access to the bus tour, you get your own area where you can go and register at the Comrades Marathon expo so if there are any technical issues like we have had the last 2 years – you can just go to the front of the queue and get registered and there is place to sit there.

There definitely are advantages to entering as an international. Just from a technical point of view, you can qualify in Australia, but you will need to join a South African club and get a local license number.