Welcome to the Comrades Marathon

13 Jun 2021|South Africa

Please note:

• Very important - We can unfortunately only cater for international entrants. No entries are available for persons resident in South Africa
• Comrades Marathon 2021 has unfortunately been cancelled
• You can enter the Comrades Virtual Event & Centenary Celebrations here
• Comrades Marathon 2022 will be a Down Run scheduled for Sunday 12th June 2022
• The 2022 race status could still be influenced by South Africa's COVID-19 status which will be assessed next year
• Click here for our 2022 itinerary and prices, and email us now to reserve your race entry and place on the Africa Marathons team

The legendary Comrades Marathon is the world's oldest and largest Ultramarathon. The 95th running of the Comrades Marathon in 2022 will be a very special down run.

The Comrades was run for the first time on the 24th May 1921 and has been run every year since, with the exception of World War II and unfortunately 2020 & 2021. The race was the brainchild of WWI veteran Vic Clapham, to commemorate South African soldiers killed during the war. Clapham himself had endured a 2,700km trek through East Africa during the war and wanted the memorial to be a supreme test of physical endurance.

Ultramarathons are any distance over the standard 42.2km marathon and this is one of the very best in the world. The Comrades is run between the cities of Durban and Pietermaritzburg in KwaZulu-Natal and alternates each year between an ‘up’ run starting from Durban, and the ‘down’ run starting from Pietermaritzburg, taking on the challenging ‘Big Five’ set of hills.

The race distance slightly varies each year but is approximately 90kms. There are 27,500 entry places (2,500 international entries) and runners must complete the course in under 12 hours, also reaching a number of cut-off points at allocated times to continue in the race. Runners must have completed an official ‘qualifying’ marathon in under 4 hours and 50 minutes to enter this prestigious event.

The Comrades is a very special event and one that should be on all runners' bucket list – the strong values of camaraderie, courage and commitment, dedication, passion and perseverance are key to making this event so unique.

Africa Marathons is an Official Tour Operator to the Comrades Marathon and offer a fantastic package to take part in the ultimate human race. We also have a limited number of guaranteed entries for international runners to Comrades Marathon 2021, so best get in touch with us to secure your spot.

Please click here or below for the full travel itinerary for 2022.

To join the Africa Marathons Team please email - [email protected] or ring +44 1932 361807 (UK) +1 844 390 1798 (USA) +44 (0)7791360170 (Rob).