Durban - A Free State couple shared their stressful experience at the 2023 Comrades Marathon after their vehicle was impounded by Durban Metro Police while they were supporting their daughter, who was running in the ultra-marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on June 11.
Paul van Heerden, 64, told The Mercury that he and his wife Marian, 62, saw at least 20 vehicles parked at the side of the N3 eastbound near Sherwood and decided to stop to check on their daughter who seemed to be struggling earlier in the race.
He said they had also stopped in Cato Ridge at the 32km mark and in Kloof at 63km.
“At Kloof she looked bad and the last time this happened, she nearly died. She had to get a drip. We were frantic and at about 7km to go, we saw about 20 cars on the side of the highway. Everyone was parked against the side of the road, posing no danger.”
Van Heerden said once they were satisfied that their daughter was fine they turned around to leave and “saw our car was gone and thought it was stolen”.
He said luckily a woman saw what had happened and informed them that the metro police had taken the vehicle.
Van Heerden said they went to advise the officer that they were stranded, however he told them it was not his problem.
“We were really treated very rudely by this man, with no empathy at all.”
He said they found themselves in an unfamiliar city on a Sunday with nowhere to go.
“We understand and know that there must be laws, otherwise there will be chaos, but cars were next to the road from Pietermaritzburg into Durban, because it was the Comrades.”
Metro police could have asked them to leave or issued a fine, he said.
Van Heerden said the woman who had alerted them to the incident, whom he described as an “angel”, came to their rescue by driving them around for three hours to get their car back.
“We stopped at the (Metro Police) offices to pay and the lady said we must come back the next day. It took a lot of motivation to pay the R953 ... Such a negative traumatic experience.”
He said the total amount to get the vehicle back was R1500.
Van Heerden said what was most disappointing was arriving at Kingsmead Stadium after his daughter had crossed the finish line.
“We arrived at Comrades too late to see our daughter finish in 8.47 – she was cold with no warm clothes or anything to eat or drink because we had everything, and got sick with the flu.
“Everybody that knows Comrades will tell you that some moments cannot be revisited, her coming into Kingsmead was taken away from us.”
He said his intention in sharing their experience was to warn others not to fall into the same trap.
Van Heerden said while they would return in 2024 to see their daughter cross the finish line in the up run, they would not return to Durban thereafter.
“There must be a better way to treat people if you want them to come to Durban as a holiday destination.”
Comrades Marathon Association(CMA) race director Rowyn James said the association was aware of the incident.
“The driver and I have been in direct correspondence with each other,” he said.
The CMA confirmed earlier this week said it was looking into concerns raised by runners.
Concerns raised are a wide-ranging spectrum of topics including – roadworks frustrations, parking, litter en route, finish venue congestion and wrong T-shirt size, he said.
CMA chairperson Mqondisi Ngcobo said the CMA board would conduct race organising committee portfolio debriefs in the coming weeks.