comrades marathon: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
Low (specialist term)Formal, technical (sports/athletics context), occasionally informal among runners
Quick answer
What does “comrades marathon” mean?
An annual ultramarathon run in South Africa between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, approximately 90 km (56 miles) long, established in 1921 as a memorial to soldiers who died in World War I.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
An annual ultramarathon run in South Africa between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, approximately 90 km (56 miles) long, established in 1921 as a memorial to soldiers who died in World War I.
A highly prestigious and grueling long-distance running event known for its camaraderie, challenging hills, and strict time limits, considered one of the world's oldest and largest ultramarathons.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in usage; the event name is consistent globally. British English may be slightly more familiar with Commonwealth sporting events.
Connotations
Primarily associated with South Africa, endurance, athletic prestige, and Anzac/Commonwealth military remembrance.
Frequency
Equally low frequency in both varieties outside running communities; slightly higher recognition in UK due to Commonwealth ties.
Grammar
How to Use “comrades marathon” in a Sentence
[Athlete] ran the Comrades Marathon in [time]The Comrades Marathon takes place in [month][Number] runners completed the Comrades MarathonVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “comrades marathon” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- He comrades-marathoned his way to a bronze medal.
- She's planning to Comrades Marathon next year.
American English
- He Comrades-marathoned the course in under nine hours.
- They're training to Comrades Marathon together.
adverb
British English
- He ran Comrades Marathon-style for the last 10K.
- She paced herself Comrades Marathon-carefully.
American English
- He trained Comrades Marathon-hard all winter.
- They approached it Comrades Marathon-seriously.
adjective
British English
- a Comrades Marathon veteran
- Comrades Marathon preparation
American English
- Comrades Marathon training
- Comrades Marathon qualification
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Metaphorically used for extremely long-term projects requiring endurance ('This merger negotiation is our Comrades Marathon').
Academic
Studied in sports science, sociology of sport, or South African cultural studies.
Everyday
Rare outside running communities; might appear in news coverage of sports events.
Technical
Specific to athletics: refers to point-to-point ultramarathon with strict cutoff times and bidirectional annual route alternation.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “comrades marathon”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “comrades marathon”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “comrades marathon”
- Writing 'comrades marathon' in lowercase
- Using 'Comrade's Marathon' (incorrect apostrophe)
- Referring to any long race as 'a comrades marathon'
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Approximately 90 kilometers (56 miles), which is more than double a standard marathon distance.
It was established in 1921 by World War I veteran Vic Clapham to commemorate South African soldiers who died in the war, emphasizing the camaraderie (comradeship) among soldiers.
Runners must first qualify by completing a standard marathon within a specified time limit, and must be 20 years or older on race day.
The route alternates yearly: the 'up run' goes from Durban to Pietermaritzburg (net uphill), while the 'down run' goes in the opposite direction (net downhill).
An annual ultramarathon run in South Africa between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, approximately 90 km (56 miles) long, established in 1921 as a memorial to soldiers who died in World War I.
Comrades marathon is usually formal, technical (sports/athletics context), occasionally informal among runners in register.
Comrades marathon: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkɒmreɪdz ˈmærəθən/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkɑːmreɪdz ˈmærəθɑːn/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “This project is the Comrades Marathon of coding challenges”
- “Their friendship survived like a Comrades Marathon partnership”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
COMRADES: Challenging Overland Memorial Race Athletes Dedicate Extreme Suffering.
Conceptual Metaphor
LIFE IS AN ULTRAMARATHON (requiring perseverance, camaraderie, and overcoming extreme obstacles).
Practice
Quiz
What distinguishes the Comrades Marathon from a standard marathon?