Two major South African ultra-running objectives can sit on the same annual calendar, but placing two big races in a season does not automatically mean an athlete should peak for both.
The useful coaching question is: what role does each race play?
Two big races are two different demands
A season containing Two Oceans and Comrades gives an athlete a clear sequence of major objectives. It also creates a recovery and training problem.
The athlete needs to arrive at the first event prepared, recover from it and then decide how much of the remaining preparation should be directed towards the second.
That means the races cannot simply be treated as two independent 12-week plans placed next to each other.
Decide which race matters most
The first question should be whether both events are genuinely performance targets.
If one is the primary goal and the other is a development or experience race, the training plan can be built around that hierarchy.
If both are major targets, the athlete and coach need to be realistic about the amount of recovery and preparation available between them.
Trying to produce two identical peaks may not be the best way to use the season.
Use the first race as information
The first major race can provide useful information about the athlete.
How did pacing hold up? Was fuelling adequate? How did the athlete respond to the distance? How quickly did they recover? Were there signs that the training load was too high—or that the athlete had more capacity than expected?
Those observations can shape the next phase.
The second race should therefore not simply repeat the first preparation block. It should respond to what the athlete has learned.
Protect the gap
The period between major races is not an opportunity to cram.
Recovery comes first. Once the athlete has absorbed the race, the coach can decide which qualities need to be maintained and which need to be developed further.
The closer the second event becomes, the more important it is to avoid unnecessary training that creates fatigue without adding useful adaptation.
The MCC coaching perspective
A two-race season can work when the races have clear roles and the athlete’s training history supports the workload.
The calendar should drive decisions, but it should not dictate them blindly. The athlete’s response to training and racing remains the most important feedback.
Athlete takeaway: put both races on the calendar, but don’t automatically build two separate full peaks. Decide what each race is for, then structure the season around that hierarchy.
Source:
Comrades Marathon Association. 2027 Race Information: https://comrades.com/race-information — authoritative source for Comrades 2027 date/direction/distance. Two Oceans Marathon: https://www.twooceansmarathon.org.za/ — official event source for 2027 Two Oceans information. MCC coaching analysis addresses how to structure the season between the two road-running objectives.