AUGUST & SEPTEMBER QUALIFIERS

August is dire for the South African Comrades marathon runner with a lot of cancellations and just one qualifier on the final weekend of the month, the flat and friendly Blouberg Marathon. The marathon offers a scenic route along the Blouberg and Melkbos beachfronts with great views of Table Mountain and Robben Island.

The first weekend of September kicks off with the Musina Marathon which is on the northern extremities of Limpopo. I ran their inaugural marathon last year and can recommend the run for those wanting to defrost after winter with a small field marathon amongst the stunning baobab trees. The Jozi City Ultra sheds 6km and rebrands as the aQuelle Zone 3 Marathon for those on the highveld and your other standard marathon is the Tony Viljoen Masters Marathon in East London which I make as the easiest marathon in the country. The brand new Bill Rowan Three Bridges 50k runs from Derby to Swartruggens in the North West province and is an easy drive from Joburg.

Limpopo is the pace to be on the second weekend with the Masingita Mall Marathon in Giyani and the Seshego 50k ultra which gives you a point-to-point tour of Polokwane. The incredibly tough but beautiful Barberton Makhonjwa Mountain Marathon from the eSwatini border to Barberton and the pancake flat Vaal River City double-lapper in Vanderbijlpark are your other options.

One on my definite top 10 marathons, the Voet van Afrika, headlines the next weekend. This race always lives up to its moniker of being the toughest race with the warmest heart. The other choices are the Emalahleni City which is an easy option for the Gautengers and the Elliot Madeira in Mthatha. Heritage Day sees a new entry on the calendar and a return to marathon running in Rustenburg with the Greater Platinum Marathon.

There are four confirmed options on the final weekend. I loved running the Laingsburg 80k and I am sure that the standard marathon will be just as memorable run around the Karoo. Those looking for some seaside sunshine can head to the South Coast Marathon. There is a new marathon at Thavhani Mall in Thohoyandou, Limpopo.

If you want to end the month on a high, I can recommend an away weekend at the Kei River Mouth, an hour from East London, which hosts the Great Kei Marathon. The race is organised by the Original Mambas and my article on the race draws parallels between Cobra Kai karate and Great Kei marathon running: A simple route description is that the profile ‘strikes first’ at 3km with a monstrous hill, proceeds to ‘strike hard’ for most of the rest of the race before delivering a final, brutal kill shot with a 1.2km kilometre ‘no mercy’ hill to the finish line. I’m just glad no one tried to “sweep the leg” over the last 10 kilometres. Fantastic marathon – highly recommended.

At the time of writing there was no information on the City to City Ultra so that event seems doubtful to take place this year.

Here’s a summary of all your options.

Stuart Mann is the proud holder of Comrades Green Number 50252. He writes and blogs as ‘The Running Mann’. You can follow him on Facebook, X or Instagram and can read about his marathon running adventures at www.runningmann.com.

Full details of all August and September qualifiers can be found HERE

A complete list of all 2025 Comrades qualifier marathons and ultras can be found HERE