Launch of new virtual racing suite

May 28, 2020

Comrades Marathon to use new virtual racing suite by Ultimate Sport Service

Ultimate Sport Service and its regional partners is pleased to announce the launch of a new complete virtual racing suite for professional endurance event organizers. An all-integrated platform from registration, social media, timing through connections to all major fitness/activity platforms, including Strava, Polar, Garmin and Suunto, web results and fully native apps for iPhone and Android with results and online registration.

The endurance sports industry is currently undergoing its biggest challenge in our time. A challenge that led to urgent demand from athletes as well as endurance event organizers to establish creative and content rich virtual event concepts around the globe. The new racing suite will kick off at the “Race the Comrades Legends” virtual event alternative in the absence of the real Comrades Marathon, that would have celebrated its 99^th birthday on June 14, 2020, with more than 27.000 runners.

“Race the Comrades Legends” that is closely approaching the 10.000 entry milestone marker is expected to have broad nationwide interest in South Africa as well significant international participation from runners around the world, who will be joining the virtual running celebration over distances from 5 km to 90 km.

Statement from Comrades Marathon chairman, Cheryl Winn

“As organisers of the world’s largest and most famous ultramarathon, the Comrades Marathon Association has launched into a joint venture with Ultimate Sport Service to present “Race the Comrades Legends” a virtual running experience with a distinct difference, which is first and foremost aimed at re-connecting with runners who for months have been training in isolation and no longer feel part of a close-knit running community. Together we have conceptualised a bespoken and innovative event which will engage, challenge and reach out to a much wider community than our exclusive ultramarathon audience, while also celebrating the rich heritage of the Oldest Race in Africa and benefiting charitable causes.”

Statement from Ultimate Sport Service CEO, Morten Toft

“As the running community around the world is undergoing its most difficult time ever, we are proud to work together with key event organizers in the endurance event industry to deliver virtual racing experiences to athletes who’s training goals have been interrupted and put to standstill due to the current COVID-19 situation and the lockdown of the endurance sport event industry. There is no event like Comrades – and we are dedicated to make the virtual event alternative in 2020 a memorable once-in-a-life-time experience for the Comrades community and its runners.”

For further information,

please see https://www.ultimatesportservice.com/virtual-events/ and contacts:

Europe/Middle East:               Morten Toft                            morten.toft@ultimate.dk

United Kingdom/Ireland:      Tom Last                                 tom.last@tdleventservices.co.uk

North/South America:            Raymond Passchier              raymond@epicracetiming.com

Africa:                                         Colin Hegter                           colin@championchip.co.za

Australia/Asia                         Stuart Fuller                            stuart@blueChipTiming.com.au

About Ultimate Sport Service

A Scandinavian based company specialized in endurance sports digital services and solutions. Established in 1995, the company has provided the digital backend for some of the largest and most successful running events in the world – most recently the Royal Run in Denmark in 2019 with 82.500 participants.

About Comrades Marathon

The Comrades Marathon is an ultramarathon of approximately 89 km which is run annually in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg. It is the world’s largest and oldest ultramarathon race. The direction of the race alternates each year between the “up” run (87 km) starting from Durban and the “down” run (now 90.184 km) starting from Pietermaritzburg. The 2019 field was capped at 25,000 runners, and the entry process closed after one week.