2027 Comrades Marathon: General Ballot Opens Tomorrow

Runners are reminded that the final entry window for the 2027 Comrades Marathon is the General Ballot Applications, which opens tomorrow, Wednesday 9 September at 10h00 and closes on Tuesday 22 September 2026 at 16h30. The ballot will be drawn on Wednesday 23 September, and successful entrants will be notified immediately after the draw.

Ballot entries open at 10h00 on Wednesday 9 September…

This entry window is for all prospective entrants who did not qualify for either of the early entry windows, or who missed out on any of the earlier entry windows, and will include novices, back-to-backs, and runners from all geographical bases, i.e. South African, Rest of Africa, and International.

The three-stage entry process that the event introduced over the past few weeks has been designed to recognise the heritage and loyalty that lie at the heart of the Comrades Marathon, while managing the extraordinary demand expected for the 100th edition fairly and responsibly.

The protected entry windows recognise the longstanding commitment of our Green and Yellow Number holders and CMA Members, while the ballot provides a fairer opportunity to all applying runners, notably those who do not have immediate access to the entry platform when entries open.

“The CMA is also committed to protecting the Back-to-back journey. Runners who are unsuccessful in securing an entry through the 2027 General Ballot will have their Back-to-back status honoured in the next Comrades Marathon Down Run in which they can participate,” says CMA race director, Sue Forge.

All entries for the 2027 race will be taken online, via the Comrades Marathon website or on the Comrades Marathon app. The entry process is straightforward, and the CMA team is available to assist with any queries.

**INTERNATIONAL & REST OF AFRICA ENTRY PACKAGES: **International and Rest of Africa entrants who would like to secure a guaranteed entry – and thus avoid going through the ballot process – can work through Marathon Tours & Travel, the Exclusive Official International Tour Operator for the Comrades Marathon. Their entry package offer includes a guaranteed International or Rest of Africa race entry as well as accommodation, airport and private race transfers, meals, celebrations and race-week support, expert guidance from an experienced international and local team, and optional post-race extensions and tours.

**QUALIFICATION: **The qualification period for the 2027 Comrades Marathon is from 15 June 2026 (the day after the 2026 Comrades Marathon) to 3 May 2027. Runners may enter before qualifying, but must complete an approved qualifying event and update their entry profile by 3 May 2027.

The qualifying criteria for next year’s Comrades Marathon remain unchanged, requiring runners to complete an officially timed standard marathon (42.2km) in under five hours. (Longer distances and required times are available on the Comrades Marathon website.) The closing date for submission of qualifying information, including personal details, a medical questionnaire, as well as seeding upgrade requests, is 3 May 2027.

ENTRY FEES: Welcome news for the Comrades Marathon community is that the entry fees for the 2027 race remain unchanged. In fact, the race entry fees have not been increased since the 2022 race. The three entry category fees are:

• South African Entrants R1 200
• Rest of Africa Entrants R2 000
• International Entrants R4 500

Runners can choose the option to pay the entry fee in one immediate instalment, or in two instalments: 50% on entry and the remaining 50% by 31 January 2027. Runners should note that failure to settle the balance by the cut-off date will result in forfeiture of their entry as well as their initial (50%) payment, and their entry will be made available in the substitution process.

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