Comrades Launches Centenary as ASA Dispute Rages On

On a day when SA’s national athletics federation, Athletics South Africa (ASA), formally distanced itself from the Comrades Marathon, the event organisers launched the 2027 centenary edition, scheduled for Sunday, 13 June 2027.

ASA’s statement comes on the back of a decision by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) not to re-affiliate with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) after a Special General Meeting held on August 1 in Pietermaritzburg. That meeting followed an ongoing feud between the provincial federation, KZNA, and the CMA over unpaid licence fees from the 2026 race and the planned date for the 2027 event. The CMA had previously sought to affiliate only with the national body, Athletics South Africa (ASA).

“ASA wishes to advise its Member Federations, affiliated clubs, athletes, technical officials, partners and the public that the 100th Comrades Marathon is not sanctioned by Athletics South Africa,” a statement read. “This position follows the failure of the event organisers to recognise and comply with the governance and regulatory framework governing athletics.

“Despite extensive engagements undertaken in good faith by Athletics South Africa and its member federation, KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA), the organisers have not satisfied the requirements necessary for sanctioning under the constitution, rules and regulations of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, Athletics South Africa and World Athletics.”

Despite the ongoing feud, Comrades on Wednesday launched the 100th running event with the 2027 race campaign, The Greatest Story Ever Run, and a special 100th edition race logo. The winning campaign slogan was chosen from just over 200 submissions from the greater Comrades Marathon community, and ties in with the storied history of the Ultimate Human Race.

The Comrades Marathon was first run in 1921 and has taken place nearly every year since, except for five years during the Second World War (1941-45) and two years during the COVID pandemic (2020 and 2021). The 2027 edition of the race will not only be the 100th edition overall, but also the 50th edition of the traditional Down Run route, starting in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Durban.

Speaking about the race slogan, CMA General Manager Alain Dalais says, “The Comrades Marathon has such a rich history, from the pioneers of the 1920s who ran to pay tribute to their comrades in arms from the Great War, to the hundreds of thousands of runners who have shaped the legacy of this phenomenal event by adding their own stories to Comrades Marathon lore over the past century.”

Comrades to Stay Independent of Federation

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“Now in 2027, we get to add a glorious 100th chapter to this story as we celebrate the centenary of one of the world’s greatest running events, and we invite our 2027 entrants to honour those who came before them while contributing to this next chapter of the race. The Greatest Story Ever Run is timeless, memorable and distinctive, making it ideally suited as the official centenary slogan to honour history, run the legacy, and be part of the Comrades Marathon story.”

Record Field Expected
The increased entry cap of 28 000 will make the 2027 race the largest ever edition of the Comrades Marathon. The 2025 race currently holds the record for the Down Run, with 24,172 entries, while the Up Run in 2019 had 24,636 entries. The cap has been increased for next year to enable more participants to be part of the centenary edition, says CMA Race Director Sue Forge.

The increased entry cap of 28 000 will make the 2027 race the largest ever edition of the Comrades Marathon.

“The decision to increase the entry cap to 28 000 has been carefully considered and is supported by extensive operational planning. While we want as many runners as responsibly possible to experience this historic centenary race, the safety of our participants, volunteers, spectators and communities remains our foremost priority,” says Forge.

“We are working closely with the host municipalities, emergency services, traffic authorities and our operational partners to strengthen traffic management, transport, crowd control and venue operations, ensuring that the increased field is accommodated safely, and that the high standard of the Comrades Marathon experience is maintained.”

With the finish moving to the Kings Park precinct, the 2027 route is expected to measure approximately 91km. The official distance will be confirmed once the course has been formally measured after the completion of ongoing roadworks, which are expected to shorten several sections of the route. The 2025 Down Run, which finished outside People’s Park near Kings Park, measured 89.98km, while the longest route in Comrades Marathon history was the 92km course run in 1971.

“The sports fields within the Kings Park precinct offer significantly more space for the finish area and race village, allowing us to create a safer, more efficient and more memorable experience for runners and spectators. The expanded precinct provides greater flexibility for runner flow, medical and recovery services, hospitality, transport and post-race operations, while giving us the opportunity to develop a truly fitting finish for the historic 100th Comrades Marathon,” says Forge.

The CMA also announced that entry fees for the 2027 race will remain unchanged. “Entry fees have not increased since 2022, reflecting the CMA’s continued commitment to keeping the Comrades Marathon as accessible as possible, particularly as we prepare to welcome runners from around the world to the historic 100th edition,” says Forge.

The entry process for the 2027 Comrades Marathon will open on Tuesday 25 August 2026, and will take place in three phases. The first window of the process will be reserved for Green Number Club athletes, as a token of appreciation for their years of commitment to the Comrades Marathon, as well as Yellow Numbers (those on the verge of earning their Green Numbers). The second window will offer an exclusive opportunity for CMA Members to enter, followed by a third window for general entries. More detailed information on the entry process will be shared by the CMA later.

Centenary Celebrations
The 2027 event will include special centenary celebrations in both the build-up to the race over the next nine months and on race-day itself, and CMA Chairperson Mark Leathers says the Comrades Marathon organising team is already gearing up for one of the biggest years in the event’s history.

“Our 2027 race will be the largest edition of the Comrades Marathon yet, and we know that this launch is just the beginning of an incredibly exciting build-up to the next Down Run, and the start of an exciting next century of the race. The CMA is committed to ensuring an unforgettable experience for all our runners, supporters and partners next year, and the coming months are going to include many centenary activities that will culminate in a spectacular celebration of the Ultimate Human Race,” said Leathers.

QUICK FACTS

Race Date: Sunday 13 June 2027
Direction: Down Run – Pietermaritzburg to Durban
Start: Pietermaritzburg City Hall
Start Time: 05:00
Finish: Kings Park Rugby Precinct, Durban
Distance: Approximately 91km – the official distance will be announced once official course measurement has been concluded
Time Limit: 12 hours – on-route intermediate cut-offs will be announced in due course
Entry Cap: 28,000
Race Slogan: The Greatest Story Ever Run

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