Over 21,000 runners will tackle the 85.777km Comrades Marathon on June 14.
Image: Supplied
A week to go until the 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon on Sunday, June 14, when over 21,000 runners will tackle the 85.777km Ultimate Human Race from the Durban City Hall to Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg.
This year’s Up Run is the shortest in recent history, mainly due to ongoing roadworks. It is 85.777km, compared with previous shortest race distance of 85.910km in 2024. The 2026 route is 133 metres shorter than 2024, which itself was 820 metres shorter than the 2019 Up Run of 86.730km.
Nearly all of the top 10 men and women from 2025 are set to return, with the exception of last year’s runner-up Alexandra Morozova. Defending champions Tete Dijana (three-time men’s winner) and Gerda Steyn (four-time women’s winner) will both line up again.
Having won the down run in 2022, 2023, and 2025, Dijana will be aiming for his first up run victory. The men’s and women’s winners will each earn R925,000.
A major contender for history is three-time champion Bongmusa Mthembu, who holds 11 gold medals—tying him for second place for most golds alongside Bruce Fordyce.
“All the signs are that this should be another thrilling race, not just in terms of proven gold medallists, but also with the addition of a number of very fast marathoners and ultra-marathoners from both South Africa and abroad, including world-class 100km competitors.
"We’re looking forward to seeing who claims the podium spots and a share of the biggest prize purse in the history of the Comrades Marathon,” said race director Sue Forge.
At the older end of the field, 84-year-old Johannes Moros Mosehla returns, while 75-year-old Louis Massyn aims to complete his 51st Comrades.
As part of its 75th anniversary in 1996, the Comrades Marathon Association launched the AmaBeadiBeadi Charity Drive, now raising over R84 million for community causes through the Race4Charity initiative. Supporters, sponsors, volunteers, and runners contribute to the effort each year.
The six official Comrades Amabeadibeadi Charities are Childline KZN, Childhood Cancer Foundation, SANParks Honorary Rangers, Community Chest Durban and Pietermaritzburg, Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust and Rise Against Hunger.
Among entrants, the most common surnames are Ndlovu (132), followed by Dlamini (112), Khumalo (87), Smith (80), and Mkhize (72).
Of the total field, 19,058 runners are from South Africa, with international representation led by Zimbabwe (476), Botswana (289), India (277), the UK (245), Brazil (168), Russia (135), Zambia (117), Eswatini (104), Namibia (98), and the United States (92).
To support the athletes along the route, refreshment stations will provide 2.2 million sachets of THIRSTI water, two tons of baby potatoes, over 700 boxes of bananas, over 900 pockets of oranges, over 4000 cases of cooldrink, 440kg energy biscuits, 1200 kg Salticrax, 1104kg chocolates and 43 tonnes ice.