YOUR APRIL COMRADES MARATHON QUALIFIERS
April is business time for Comrades runners. Time is running out if you still need to qualify, whilst for those who have already secured their seeding it’s a great time to use a marathon as a tester for June. There are 16 confirmed options in April evenly split by 8 marathons and 8 ultras.
Weekend One
Whilst Two Oceans has lost much of its lustre in recent years, the race that was started as a training run for Comrades is back for its 54th running in 2025. It remains the second largest ultra in the world (after Comrades). After a flat first half through Cape Town’s southern suburbs and alongside the Indian Ocean, you get to climb one of the most beautiful passes in the world, Chapman’s Peak Drive. A drop into Hout Bay gets you to the marathon mark and this is followed by 4km of extreme nastiness called Constantia Nek. The last 10km are mainly downhill with a few bumps along the way until you ‘earn your undergraduate degree’ at University of Cape Town.
[Note: Unfortunately this event has been a late cancellation in 2025] The second ultra this weekend is even older, the 57th Arthur Cresswell Memorial which is commonly known as ‘Bergville’. The race offers 53 countryside kilometres through northern Kwazulu Natal with enthusiastic support tables organised by the local community. Those who enjoy a challenge (and a good view) will appreciate the stretch from 12 to 18km up Child’s Hill – the highest point on the route. Luckily the organisers leave the rest of this hill’s family out of it as you drop and undulate all the way home. The Bergville ultra features as the cornerstone of many KZN runner’s Comrades training plans.
On the marathon front you can travel to Richard’s Bay for the Hippo or to Ermelo for the Highveld Marathon. Hippo is the most easterly marathon in South Africa – a super flat double-lapper at sea-level through the suburbs of Richards Bay. Things can get hot and sweaty very quickly in Richards Bay so to compensate for the expected heat the race starts extra early and refreshment tables are extra frequent to prevent overheating.
Highveld is a small field (runner-wise) / big field (agricultural-wise) out-and-back route in Ermelo. You are into the countryside within the first kilometre and it’s rolling hills, beautiful landscapes and bulky bullocks over the rest of the undulating route.
Weekend Two
The second weekend offers one marathon, one ultra and one hybrid event.
The hybrid is Benoni Northerns with the choice of a standard marathon or 48k ultra. The route is a fast and flat double-lapper through Northmead, Rynfield and the beautiful Ebotse golf estate (for those who got their fill of Benoni earlier in the year at Johnson Crane, this route is completely different). There’s plenty of shade along the way making this an ideal route to test your legs and improve your seeding before Comrades.
Only the rash and reckless walk the streets of Chatsworth – but only the incredibly brave run 52km around her streets. This is a race that earns you serious street cred (the race is 4km short but has 50% more elevation gain than Two Oceans). The Chatsworth Freedom Ultra was started to commemorate the end of apartheid and dawn of democracy in South Africa – and has been going strong ever since. You get to cover almost every street in Chatsworth as you wind and grind up and down their undulating terrain. With long stretches along the Higginson Highway, this is a route that tests your mind and well as your legs - making this an ideal Comrades preparation run (Stephen Muzhingi has won the race twice and followed both victories up with a Comrades triumph). The route is something between circular and a double-lapper as there are several repeat sections. The highlight of the route comes towards the end – four shaded, scenic kilometres through the Silverglen Nature Reserve.
Mall of the North Marathon bucks the trend that Polokwane races are normally just hot and not particularly interesting. The out and back route takes you almost immediately from the mall parking lot into pristine African savannah and keeps you there for over 40km.
Weekend Three
It’s two marathons and two ultras on the menu for Easter weekend.
You can follow up Good Friday with an even better Easter Saturday at the NMB Festival of Running Marathon. This tough "training run" marathon with a total elevation gain of 847m making it the toughest coastal marathon in the country. The race starts at 3:30pm so it is one of the only opportunities to run an afternoon marathon in South Africa. The route is a stunner along the Eastern Cape Coastline and you can enjoy the late afternoon sun setting over the Indian Ocean while you grind your way to the finish. The marathon is completely plastic free and you are required to bring your own cup or bottle to refill at the water stations. There is also a 42km Beach Marathon on Easter Sunday for those that want to achieve the FULL Dolphin Challenge.
The second standard marathon is the inaugural Lesedi Easter Marathon on the southern outskirts of Gauteng in Heidelberg. The marathon route weaves through the town and neighbouring areas, offering runners fresh country air and an energizing escape from urban life.
With Two Oceans vacating their Easter slot, those wanting an ultra marathon fix can choose between the Tshwane North and Orcas 50k races. The former has proved to be a popular and well-organised single-lap event since its inception in 2023 whilst the latter is an inaugural double-lapper in KZN.
Weekend Four
Lastminute commers will be pleased to note that the final weekend is crammed full with seven options.
My pick would be the Outeniqua Marathon. If this is not on your bucket list add it now. A superb small field marathon in the heart of the Garden Route. The route combines trail, tar and dirt road as you navigate the ancient roads cut into the Tsitsikamma forest between George and Wilderness. Expect hills, dams, lakes, lagoons, stunning sea views and indigenous forests.
There are four other standard marathons to pick from: A flat double-lapper around Kuruman in the Northern Cape’s Kalahari, a not-so-flat circular route around Polokwane City, the inaugural flat out-and-back Vaal Triangle Marathon in Vereeniging and the inaugural flat double-lap Alan Robb Marathon which has upgraded from a 32km to a full marathon this year. The latter is organised by Germiston Callies who are one of the great clubs in South Africa with 5 former Comrades winners. This race honours the legendary Alan Robb who won Comrades 4 times amongst many other achievements.
On the ultra front you have two choices. The first is the Loskop 50k, run from Middelburg to the Loskop Dam on closed roads. With the start 1,500m above sea-level and the finish 1,000m, it’s a fast, downhill route – but there are some tricky sections: there is a gradual climb to 1,600m all the way to the half marathon mark and two nasty hills on the second half (Bugger’s and Varaday’s) will give you something to talk about while you cool your legs in the Forever Resort pool at the finish. The excellent support tables and organisation make Loskop a pleasure to run - and for those wanting to prep for the Comrades "down" run, this route is a perfect replica of what you can expect to face in June.
The second is the Prince Mangosuthu 52k, a point-to-point ultra from Nqutu to Dundee in northern KZN. The first 18 kilometres are an easy downhill that drops one from around 1,400m to below 1,100m. This lulls one into a false sense of security until you hit the bottom of the Buffalo River Valley. From that point onward it’s hard work, with plenty of climbing as you bob up and down all the way to Dundee.
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 April qualifiers can be found here
A complete list of all 2025 Comrades qualifier marathons and ultras can be found here
