On Sunday June 14, 2026, the 101st edition of Comrades Marathon takes place — the world's oldest ultramarathon and the largest ultra by participation on the planet. 87.7 km between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in an Up Run year (climbing from sea level to PMB at ~700 m), with a strict 12-hour cutoff and a medal tier system that has become a rite of passage for global ultrarunning. The gun firing at 17:30 with the official's back turned to the field is probably the most iconic image in ultra running. This guide covers what neither the official site nor finisher blogs lay out in full: how the race breaks between Inchanga and Polly Shortts, what medal you can realistically aim for given your marathon time, and why Comrades demands a qualifying marathon.

Comrades Marathon 2026 is the 101st edition of the race: an 87.7 km event between Durban (coast) and Pietermaritzburg (inland, ~700 m altitude). 2026 is an Up Run year — direction alternates each year with the Down Run, and the climb is the more demanding version in terms of total elevation gain.

Comrades Marathon is an ultramarathon on tarmac road between the two largest cities of KwaZulu-Natal, in eastern South Africa. It's not trail. It's not mountain. It's road with constant elevation change, with a profile that climbs and drops over the five great hills (Big Five Hills) that define the race. What makes Comrades unique isn't the terrain — it's the history, the South African running culture, and the tiered medal system that recognises every finisher according to their time.

The race alternates direction each year: in even years like 2026 it runs Up (from coast inland, gaining ~700 m net altitude); in odd years it runs Down (in reverse, technical descent that hammers quads). The Up Run is slower but more uniform; the Down Run is faster on the clock but ends with many finishers walking lame.

Comrades is not for ultra debutants. The race assumes you arrive with:

• Sub-5:00 marathon within 6 months of race day (mandatory qualifying time).
• At least 18 months of consistent running, minimum 50–60 km/week.
• Capacity to be on your feet for 9–12 hours (feet, back, knees, mind).
• Mental tolerance for the "long lonely middle" — kilometres 40–70 with sparse crowds, moderate heat and few visual landmarks.
• Realistic budget: between bib, flights, double-city accommodation and kit, count on €3,000–5,000 from Europe.

If you've been running less than 18 months or never finished a marathon, Comrades isn't your race yet. Come back in 2 years with more kilometres in your legs and a couple of fast half-marathons to sustain the qualifying pace.

The Up Run starts from Durban City Hall (sea level) and finishes at Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg (~700 m). Net elevation gain is ~750 m, but with rolling profile total climbing exceeds 1,500 m. The route is fully tarmac, on open road closed to traffic, with aid stations every 1.5–2 km and medical support every 5–8 km.

The Big Five Hills are the five climbs that structure the race and that every finisher knows by heart:

After Polly Shortts there are ~5 km of downhill and flat to Scottsville Racecourse, where the finish sits inside the racecourse oval. The finish gantry closes at exactly 17:30 and the gun firing is probably the most iconic image in global ultrarunning.

The Comrades Marathon was created in 1921 by Vic Clapham, a WWI veteran, as a tribute to his fallen comrades in the East African campaign. Clapham, who had marched more than 2,700 km on foot during the war, wanted a race that tested human endurance the same way. The first edition had 34 entrants and 16 finishers. A century later, Comrades is the most participated race in global ultrarunning.

The race alternates direction each year since 1923 — Up Run in even years (2024, 2026, 2028) and Down Run in odd years (2025, 2027). There were interruptions for WWII (1941–1945), apartheid era (the race opened to black runners from 1975 onwards), the COVID pandemic (cancelled in 2020 and 2021) and occasional security issues. The 100th edition was held in 2025 with a historic Down Run and record entries.

Current records:

• Men's Up Run: 5:24:49 — Edward Mothibi (RSA, 2019)
• Men's Down Run: 5:18:19 — David Gatebe (RSA, 2016)
• Women's Up Run: 6:09:24 — Gerda Steyn (RSA, 2023)
• Women's Down Run: 5:44:54 — Gerda Steyn (RSA, 2023)

The roll of honour is dominated by South Africans: Bruce Fordyce won 9 editions between 1981 and 1990, Russian Leonid Shvetsov was the first foreigner to break a course record in 2008, and South African Gerda Steyn has been the dominant athlete of the past decade.

Registration is managed at comrades.com and opens typically in September of the previous year (September 2025 for Comrades 2026). For 2026, an entry cap of ~25,000 bibs is anticipated, which historically fills within a few weeks — though rarely within hours like UTMB.

Mandatory qualifying time: every entrant must show a certified marathon below 5 hours within the 6 months prior to Comrades (between August 1 of the previous year and a day before registration close). The marathon must be sanctioned by the South African federation or by an IAAF/World Athletics affiliate. Races like London Marathon, Berlin, Sevilla, Madrid, Valencia, NYCM, and Boston all qualify.

Prices 2026 (approximate, confirm on official site):

• South African residents (SA): ZAR 1,800–2,500 (~$100–140)
• International: ZAR 4,000–6,000 (~$220–330)
• Entry includes: bib with chip, official t-shirt, runner bag, pasta party, finisher medal, medical support and aid stations.

Bib pickup is NOT done on race day. It happens at the Comrades Expo at the Durban International Convention Centre (ICC) on the Friday and Saturday before the race. You need:

• Passport or identity document.
• Printed registration confirmation.
• Proof of qualifying marathon (printed official result or screenshot).

The Expo opens typically 09:00–19:00 Friday and 09:00–17:00 Saturday. No race-day pickup possible.

Comrades is famous for its medal scaling by finish time. Each band has a historical name:

Important: after exactly 12:00:00, no medal is awarded and the finish does not count officially. The gun firing at 17:30 marks the absolute close with the official turning his back to the trailing pack — no one is accepted crossing one second later.

Durban has its own international airport: King Shaka International Airport (DUR), 35 km north of central Durban. Most European flights require connection at Johannesburg (JNB) or via Doha (Qatar Airways) or Dubai (Emirates). Transfer from airport to central Durban takes 30–45 min by taxi (~ZAR 350–500, ~$25) or by Uber (cheaper and very reliable in South Africa).

Visa: South Africa allows tourist stays up to 90 days visa-free for most EU passports (Spain included), UK, USA, Australia and Canada. Required: passport with at least 2 blank pages and 30 days validity past departure. Yellow fever vaccine recommended only if you arrive from an endemic country (does not apply from Europe direct).

Most efficient routes from Spain and continental Europe:

• Madrid → Doha → Durban (DUR) with Qatar Airways. One stop, ~16–18 h total, €1,000–1,300 roundtrip.
• Madrid → Dubai → Joburg → Durban with Emirates + South African. Two stops, ~20 h, €900–1,200.
• Madrid → Joburg with Iberia/Lufthansa + domestic SAA to Durban. ~14 h total, €1,100–1,500.
• Booking 6 months ahead drops fares by ~25%.

Once in Durban, you don't need a rental car for the race — CMA provides official buses:

• Saturday: free transport Expo ↔ main Durban hotels.
• Sunday early: departure from Durban at 02:30–03:30 to deliver runners to the start line.
• Sunday afternoon: free buses from Pietermaritzburg back to Durban for all finishers from km 87.7.

If your support crew wants to spectate on the course, renting a car for race day (~ZAR 700/day, ~$40) and parking at intermediate points (Hilton, Drummond, Camperdown) makes it possible to see the runner 2–3 times. Book the car well ahead.

The most common strategy for international runners is to base in Durban (more hotel inventory, easier for arriving Friday and being relaxed Saturday), race Sunday, and bus back to Durban via the organisation's transport to recover Monday-Tuesday before flying home. Pietermaritzburg has more limited hotel inventory and fills first.

Best option for international entrants — coastal city with good inventory, restaurants and public transport.

Indicative price: €80–250 per night depending on hotel and season. Book 6–9 months ahead.

Limited 4★ inventory but useful if you want to sleep close to the finish.

Indicative price: €60–150 per night.

Hilton is a town ~25 km from PMB and ~60 km from Durban, near km 65–70 of the route. Good base if you want to spectate the climb up Inchanga.

Indicative price: €70–180 per night.

June is dry winter in South Africa, and particularly in KwaZulu-Natal the weather on Comrades day is one of the most stable in the global ultra calendar. Historically:

• Start (05:30, Durban coast): 5–10 °C, humidity 65–80%, no wind.
• Midday (13:00, ~Inchanga): 14–18 °C, humidity 40–55%, intense direct sun.
• Afternoon (16:00–17:30, PMB): 12–18 °C, humidity 35–50%, sun dropping fast.
• Rain probability: <5% — June is the driest month of the year in KZN.
• UV: very high (index 8–10) between 11:00 and 14:00. SPF 50 sunscreen mandatory.

The big climate lesson at Comrades: don't underestimate the sun. Although the absolute temperatures are moderate for European runners, the austral sun at the inland altitude is very aggressive and dehydration is the most frequent cause of DNF. Drink 350–500 ml/h from km 0, cover head and neck, and reapply sunscreen every 3 hours.

Comrades requires specific periodisation starting ~6 months out. If you don't yet have a sub-5:00 marathon, start there: run Sevilla in February or Madrid/Valencia in April, then use the remaining 14 weeks to build ultra endurance. The plan assumes 4–5 sessions/week and an athlete with at least 18 months of base.

Overall structure:

• Weeks 1–4: Aerobic base. 50–60 km/week, one long run 18–22 km, easy paces.
• Weeks 5–8: Endurance build. 65–75 km/week, long run climbing to 28–32 km, one quality session/week.
• Weeks 9–14: Volume peak. 80–95 km/week, long run of 35–42 km every 14 days, back-to-back long runs alternating weekends.
• Weeks 15–20: Ultra specificity. Long runs of 4–5 hours, mixed sessions (3 h running + 1 h fast walking), Big Five simulation with hill repeats of 800–1,200 m.
• Weeks 21–22: Final peak. One run of 50–55 km at ultra pace (35–45 sec/km slower than marathon pace) with simulated aid.
• Weeks 23–24: Tapering. Volume to 60%, intensity to 80%, short sessions and active recovery.

The key is back-to-back longs — in the 6 peak weeks, do a weekend doublé (Saturday long + Sunday medium-long) every 14 days to teach the body to run on tired legs, similar to Comrades in its final stretch.

The most reliable empirical rule for predicting your Comrades finish from a marathon:

Comrades time ≈ Marathon time × 2.4 to 2.7

(The multiplier rises the slower the athlete — a sub-3:00 marathoner multiplies by 2.3, a sub-5:00 multiplies by 2.7.)

If your marathon is between 4:30 and 5:00, your realistic Comrades 2026 target is Vic Clapham (sub-12) and you must run very conservatively. If your marathon is sub-4:00 you can comfortably aim at Bronze (sub-11).

For Comrades, calculating pace "per flat kilometre" doesn't work — you must adjust for each Big Five Hill's difficulty. This calculator produces differentiated paces for flat sections, climbs and descents.

How to use it:

• Enter your total target (sub-9 / sub-10 / sub-11 / sub-12).
• The tool returns differentiated paces for the 5 key segments of the Up Run: Durban to Cowies (km 0–17), Cowies to Field's (km 17–35), Field's through Botha's-Inchanga (km 35–62), Inchanga to Polly Shortts (km 62–80), and final (km 80–87.7).
• Compare the paces with your training long runs — if your target splits are faster than what you ran in the week 22 simulation, reduce your ambition.

The absolute rule of Comrades Up Run is: walk every Big Five Hill above 5% gradient, even if you feel strong. Anyone who tries to run them all blows up around Inchanga. Here's the tactical plan by target band:

Three tactical golden rules:

1. Open contained the first 17 km. Before Cowies Hill, you must NOT run more than 30 sec/km faster than goal pace. Start adrenaline and the slight descent lead to errors.
2. The Inchanga-Polly Shortts stretch (km 62–82) is decided by the head, not the legs. Bring a mantra and use it. Most last-hour DNFs happen between these points.
3. Reserve 5% for the final kilometre. After Polly Shortts there's 5 km of descent into Scottsville. Anyone who finishes with energy runs the last 1,500 m at 5K pace — and saves 2–3 minutes off the final time.

Comrades has excellent and very frequent aid — stations every 1.5–2 km with water, Coca-Cola, Energade (South African sports drink, similar to Gatorade), fruit, banana, orange, salted boiled potato, Marie biscuits, and in the late stations hot tea. You don't need to carry much from the start — but you do need to supplement aid stations with your own habitual gels.

Sample fueling plan (Bronze sub-11 target):

• Pre-race (4:30–5:00): breakfast 600–800 kcal, 90–120 g carbs, 20 g protein. Oats with banana, honey, coffee.
• Km 0–25 (Cowies): 1 gel every 35 min + water or Energade at each aid. No solid yet.
• Km 25–48 (Field's-Botha's): alternate gel/solid. Begin taking aid station banana.
• Km 48–62 (Inchanga): Solid required — salted aid potato is gold. Energade always.
• Km 62–82 (Inchanga-Polly Shortts): 1 gel every 30 min + Coca-Cola at aid (sugar and caffeine). Banana if your stomach holds.
• Km 82–87.7 (Polly Shortts to finish): liquid sugar. Coca-Cola, Energade, last caffeine gel. No solid.

Hydration: target 350–500 ml/h depending on temperature. Alternate plain water and salt drink (Energade or your own salt sachets). Too much plain water without salt risks hyponatremia after km 60 — manifests as confusion, swelling, massive cramps.

CMA support bag: the organisation allows you to drop one small bag at an intermediate point (typically Drummond or Camperdown). Use it for spare socks, extra gels, anti-inflammatory if you take one, and sunscreen.

Comrades is road, not trail. Gear isn't demanding, but there are typical errors made by European newcomers who arrive with inadequate footwear or untested apparel for the distance. Never debut anything on race day — every item (shoes, socks, shorts, shirt, belt) must have rolled at least 200 km in training.

Essential:

• Maximum-cushioned road shoes, model equivalent to Saucony Endorphin Speed, Nike Vaporfly Next% or Hoka Mach. Well rolled (200+ km), with no excessive wear (heel intact, drop intact).
• Anti-friction technical socks — not cotton. Model tested in at least 2 long runs. Carry spares in support bag.
• Shorts with side pocket (at least 4 gels) and Vaseline/applicator at the waist.
• Light-coloured short-sleeve technical shirt. Reflective for the dark start if you carry an extra long sleeve.
• Visor or light cap + sunglasses (high UV). The austral sun hits harder than the European one.
• Gel belt or minimal waist pack. No backpack — aid every 2 km is enough.

Recommended:

• Thin thermal long sleeve or arm warmers for the start (5–8 °C in Durban at 5 AM). Discard from km 5–8.
• SPF 50+ sunscreen applied before starting and reapplied if your support can in km 35–40.
• Anti-friction (Bodyglide or Vaseline) on thighs, armpits, feet and chest area. Mandatory for 9–12 hours.
• GPS watch with 12 h+ battery (Garmin Fenix, Forerunner 955/965, Coros Apex 2 Pro).

Don't bring:

• New shoes. The #1 European newcomer error.
• Hydration pack. Aid station + belt is enough.
• Cotton (race promo shirt from prior event, cotton socks). Guarantees chafing.
• Trekking poles. Comrades is tarmac and poles are not allowed.

Comrades stands out for historical prestige, scale (largest ultra in the world by participation) and South African medal-tier culture. If you want your first "big" ultra with full mega-organisation logistical backing and low probability of adverse weather, Comrades is the logical choice over UTMB (more technical) or Western States (lottery + difficulty).

If you combine Two Oceans (~56 km in April) + Comrades (~87.7 km in June), you get the classic "Comrades double" — a complete South African season that many European runners do with a single trip to South Africa.

Ready for the challenge? Check the full event details, accommodation and travel plan or browse other international marathons and ultras for the 2026 season to plan your year.

This guide is updated periodically. Last revision: 2026-05-08. If you spot outdated data, write to us.