This Area has a Plaque of Comrades Marathon achiever Arthur Newton. This is aslo the resting place of many other brave runner's during the race! Arthur, the ‘Great Heart’ Newton- as he is fondly remembered was the first multiple winner of the Comrades Marathon! He won this Ultra Marathon consecutively for five times between 1922 and 1927 and set new course records on five occasions!
In addition, to Arthur Newton's many excursions around the World, he also won many other road races and set other, World records! This being for the 50 miles, 100 miles and 24 hours races. He also won the first London to Brighton race in 1951. He started running at the relatively late age of 38 and ran his first Comrades in 1922, to publicize his outrage at a land dispute with the South African Government, at the time.
He is considered the father of modern marathon running and his book on running simply called: “Running by Arthur F.H. Newton” (the Link being listed in FURTHER READING). This book is still studied as a classic source of reference!
....the legend came about of 'Arthur's seat' because in his heyday, Newton would often train on the Comrades route, at an incredible rate. On these training runs, just after the halfway point of Comrades (Drummond Village), he would pause to gaze at the spectacular view of the Valley of a Thousand Hills, in a hollowed out makeshift chair in a rock face and contemplate the magnificent Valley. The view supposably was of the sacred 'Table Mountain' and the mighty 'Umgeni River'. Sadly, parts of this fable must be a myth, because it is impossible to see the Valley of a Thousand Hills from 'Newton’s Rock Seat'. But nonetheless the myth has grown in stature, has inevitably been embellished, and is now entrenched in Comrades folklore!
Nowadays on the race day, runners passing 'Arthur’s Seat' are expected to throw a flower at the seat, which is clearly designated by a sign and a small brick Monument. (By the end of the day the Monument is covered with a great bouquet, of discarded flowers. Who Bruce Fordyce can be quoted as saying "smell a bit", at the end of the Comrades due to the heat! ) But it is not enough to just toss a flower at 'Arthur’s Seat'. Every passing runner is then expected to take off their cap and greet Newton with the words “Good morning, Arthur”. Failure to do so, the superstition warns, will result in catastrophe in the second half of the race for any disrespectful runners. However, Arthur Newton’s ghost will smile benevolently on those who do remember to respect the great man and greet him. A happy and successful journey to the finish in the second half of the race is then guaranteed!
BRUCE FORDYCE said, tongue and cheek: "I never wanted to put the superstition to the test and so even in the heat of battle I would never forget to doff my cap and shout, “Good morning Arthur” Sometimes to the bewilderment of the uninformed runners around me. Amazingly I’ve never really had a bad run!"
It seems that the ceremony at Arthur’s Seat is more ritual, than superstition! The ritual helps to remind runners that this is the most famous ultra-marathon in the World and that this really matters. It helps to focus the mind and gird the loins for the challenge of the second half of the race.
"Some runners might argue that the start of the race with its traditional ceremony of the National Anthem, 'Shosholoza', 'Chariots of Fire' and Max Trimborn’s 'Cockerel Call' is a superstitious sending off. But I believe that the start is a ritual which prepares runners for the great battle ahead."
Alan Robb’s famous red socks are a superstition. Alan would never start without them! Gerda Steyn tells me she wears a charm bracelet on her wrist. My friends Sue and Cherry also indulge in superstition. Sue must paint her toenails red and must put her left shoe on first on race morning. Cherry waxes her arms. (She believes it makes her faster.) Mike wears his shorts inside out because he unintentionally wore them that way, when he once ran an outstanding race. The lesson for Comrades runners appears to be don’t change whatever works for you, but most importantly don’t forget, 'to greet Arthur Newton at Arthur's Seat'.
THE YEAR OF 2022, marks 102 years since a group of 34 men who fought together in World War Iput their strength to the test by racing between Pietermaritzburg and Durban in honour of their fallen comrades. Since 1921 at least 300 000 runners have answered the call to be part of the ultimate human race to experience the camaraderie and the tough hills in between Pietermaritzburg and Durban!