Get ready for the 2026 Comrades Marathon on June 14, where 21,633 runners will tackle the 85.77km “Up Run” from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, featuring thrilling races with Gerda Steyn aiming for her fourth consecutive win and a wide-open men’s field, alongside extensive logistical support and equal prize money for top finishers. Picture: Google Gemini
Image: Google Gemini
It’s that time again when hordes of runners from all around the world flock to KwaZulu-Natal. On June 14, they will take part in the Ultimate Human Race: the iconic Comrades Marathon.
With exactly one week to go before the gruelling "Up Run" from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, anticipation has reached a fever pitch for the pinnacle event of South African road running.
Outside of South Africa, many athletes regard a standard 42.2km marathon as the ultimate achievement. In South Africa, however, the two biggest blockbusters on the road running calendar are ultra-marathons. In April, runners tackle the 56km Two Oceans Marathon. Then in June comes the big one: Comrades.
Depending on the route, Comrades normally measures somewhere between 85km and 90km, varying slightly each year. For 2026, the official route will measure 85.77km. Weather forecasts are looking promising, with a minimum temperature of 15°C expected in Durban and a maximum of 21°C in Pietermaritzburg. These are just about the most ideal conditions you can hope for along the route, though it may still feel a tad warm for the international contingent.
The men’s field has no clear favourite, promising a thrilling, unpredictable battle. Defending up-run champion Piet Wiersma (who won the 2024 up-run and fought a fierce battle in 2025) will face immense pressure from three-time champion Tete Dijana. Alongside them, former champion Edward Mothibi, Russian contender Nikolai Volkov, and the ever-consistent Joseph Manyedi are all fully capable of pulling off a historic victory.
The women’s race presents a completely different narrative. Gerda Steyn enters as the massive favourite to retain her crown. In fact, Steyn is chasing her fourth consecutive Comrades victory and her fifth overall.
Since her breakthrough win in 2019, Steyn has stood undefeated every single time she has lined up for this race. (The event was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid pandemic, and she opted out of the ultra-marathon distance in 2022 to focus on shorter distances.) Steyn also asserted her dominance earlier this year in April, cruising to a convincing victory at the Two Oceans Marathon to secure her seventh consecutive title at South Africa's second-biggest running event.
While Kenya’s Shelmith Muriuki, 2022 champion Alexandra Morozova, and South African star Irvette van Zyl will all have a serious go at the podium, matching Steyn’s fierce momentum will be a monumental task. She will likely be targeting an average pace faster than 4:01 per kilometre, a speed that would shatter her own up-run record of 5:49:46 set back in 2024.
Approximately 21,633 runners are registered to make it to the starting line in Durban to begin their long journey inland. Managing and fuelling this weary mass of athletes across a brutal route is arguably the largest logistical undertaking of the entire South African sporting year.
To keep the field moving, the race organisers are deploying a staggering mountain of refreshment station supplies:
Drinks & Hydration
Food & Snacks
Race Support & Comfort
It isn’t just glory on the line for the elite field. The Comrades Marathon Association offers equal prize money for both the Men’s and Women’s races, paying down to the top-10 finishers:
Position 1: R 925 000,00
Position 2: R 464 000,00
Position 3: R 334 000,00
Position 4: R 168 000,00
Position 5: R 131 000,00
Position 6: R 76 000,00
Position 7: R 66 000,00
Position 8: R 58 000,00
Position 9: R 49 000,00
Position 10: R 39 000,00