Sør-Afrika mot røkla
For alle sør-afrikanere var det en lettelse at deres egen Kelehe vant i fjor. Kan han, eller en av mange sterke landsmenn gjenta bedriften i år - eller vil tøffe russere, japanere eller kinesere sørge for at "utlendingene" igjen vil dominere? Les artikkelen nedenfor
Kilde: The Star
 
Locals versus foreigners at 2002 Comrades
 
June 06 2002

By Iqbal Khan
 
South Africa's leading ultra-distance runners, who annually face a growing challenge from abroad, are sticking their necks out to win this year's Comrades Marathon on June 17.
 
The international runners dominated the race for many years, and when Andrew Kelehe broke the stranglehold in the 2001 "down" run, he ignited a spark among his countrymen to go for broke in this year's "up" run from Durban to Maritzburg.
 
Belarusian Vladimir Kotov, who runs in the Mr Price International team colours, holds the "up" run record. He was on fire in 2000 when he crossed the finish line in 5hr 25min 33sec. And with the route a little shorter this time around (86,55km), it would not be surprising if the 44-year-old lowered his own mark.
 
Leonid Shvetsov, a 33-year-old Russian, is also in with a shout, while Japan's Takahiro Sunada, the world 100km record holder, will also pose a threat.
 
Add the name of Jikuan Du of China to this list and it makes it even tougher for the South Africans.
 
Then there is Dmitri Grishin, the 1996 and 1998 "up" winner who has never finished outside the Top 10 in six starts, and Alexei Volgin, four times a top-five finisher.
 
But the foreign stars will be in for a hard time from South Africa's leading long-distance runners, some of whom - including Kelehe - have been to Russia to watch how the eastern Europeans prepare for this gruelling race.
 
Kelehe fancies his chances, Willie Mtolo believes that the time has finally come for him to win, Fusi Nhlapo says his consistency over the last two races puts him in line to snatch the crown, and Sarel Ackermann, who will be attempting his 12th Comrades at the tender age of 30, is of the view that it's the perfect moment in his career to grab the most sought-after ultra-marathon title in the world.