If you are seeking a brutal but unforgettable road ultra, then look no further than Comrades Marathon.
Held each year in South Africa, the 87km (give or take) race, is the world’s oldest ultramarathon, The entries for 2024 are now closed.
This year the race will take place on Sunday 9 June, starting at 5:30 am with the cut off at at 5:30pm.
What everyone's reading
Female participation in ultrarunning falls to 30 The up run is usually marginally shorter, and it is rumoured that it is slightly easier - it takes to qualify for Comrades.
Once you’ve done that, you need to pass a medical questionnaire before you even think about buying your ticket. And it still sells out. Every time.
The course spans approximately 87km in the KwaZulu-Natal province between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, stretching across five treacherous hills.
Read on for everything you need to know about the world’s most infamous ultra.
Why is the Comrades Marathon so famous?
The Comrades Marathon is the world’s oldest and biggest ultramarathon, with over 300,000 runners having completed it to date.
The race was created in 1921 to pay tribute to South Africa’s WWI veterans, and has been run every year since, with the exception of 1941 to 1945 – due to the Second World War – and 2020 to 2021, as a result of Covid.
The course itself is also rich with history – in the 19th century, British, Boer and Zulu armies clashed in a number of bloody encounters across the five hills.
The race is a huge deal in South Africa, with the entire event being streamed for 12-hours straight on national TV each year.
But it’s also gained immense popularity around the world, with 2354 international runners from 84 countries flying to partake in the ultra last year alone.
What’s the course like?
The direction of the run actually alternates every year, with the 'up' race starting from Durban at an elevation of only 101m, and the 'down' race kicking off in Pietermaritzburg at a whopping 921m.
This year's run is an 'up' run, starting at the City Hall in Durban and finishing in the Pietermaritzburg. The race distance this year is 85,9km but is subject to change, and will be confirmed in the final race instructions.
The first 38km of the run involves solid uphill climbing, so organisers have warned participants to start more slowly and conserve their strength for a more undulating second half.
The course traverses through the Valley of a Thousand Hills, which tells you everything you need to know. The five main hills– Cowies, Fields, Bothas, Inchanga and Polly Shortts have deceptively harmless names.
The 'up' run is usually marginally shorter, and it is rumoured that it is slightly easier - it takes a lot of downhill training to prepare your legs for 921m declines. Participants also say that the 'down' year doesn't completely adhere to its title and actually has some hills to climb. Those who’ve endured both will tell you the courses are every inch as gruelling as each other.
The Comrades Marathon Association has confirmed that there will be 48 refreshment stations along the course, well stocked with Coke, Fanta, fruit, and cooked potatoes amongst other things.
Race traditions
The Comrades Marathon is known for its many traditions. There is, of course, the bi-annual course switcheroo.
Then, there’s the matter of race numbers and bib colours. International runners get a blue bib, while runners in their 10th Comrades get a yellow one. Finally, those who’ve already completed 10 Comrades Marathons qualify for a green bib and get their very own race number, which they can use in future races.
The strict 12-hour cut-off time is one of the more daunting traditions of the Comrades, meaning that thousands of participants fail to complete the course each year. If you do not reach the finish line within this time frame you must leave the route immediately or it will jeopardise your participation in future years. We warned you it was strict.
Meanwhile, the cock’s crow that kicks off the race – originating from nothing more than a nervous tick by a local runner in 1948 – is one of the ultra’s more lighthearted customs.
The entries for 2024 are now closed seven coveted medals, which all represent different finish times from Gold given to the first 10 women and men, to the Vic Clapham award for those who finish between 11 and 12 hours.
This year there will be 'hot spot' prizes totalling R100,000 awarded to the first male and female runners through the Cato Ridge timing mat, approximately 56.6km into the route. The winner of the men’s hot spot prize must finish the race in sub 6 hours, while the women’s winner must finish in sub 7 hours.
What does it take to compete in the Comrades Marathon?
A runner’s guide to the 2025 Great South Run Health & Injuries. The entries for 2024 are now closed longer distances The up run is usually marginally shorter, and it is rumoured that it is slightly easier - it takes.
founded over 100 years ago in 1921.
Once you’re then accepted into the race, you'll need both a race plan and a meaningful goal, a reason to do it.
Planning should include plenty of jeffing (even the elites run walk), and a lot of nutrition prep. A former competitor, RW contributor Lisa Jackson, said she looked like a 'walking tuck shop'.
Finally, you’ll need a truckload of perseverance, and an appropriate training plan.
How can you get a place?
Thousands of runners each year train tirelessly to make that coveted.
Keep an eye on the website for details of the 2025 race which will open to registrants later in the year.
