The race will be run on Sunday, 8 June 2025 starting at 05h30 and finishing at 17h30.
It is a “DOWN RUN” starting at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Durban. The race distance is approximately 89km. This distance is subject to change and will be confirmed in the Final Race Instructions (FRI).
Entries will open ONLY for all Green Number Club runners on 6 November 2024 at 12h00 and will close on 9 December 2024 at 16h30.
Entries for all Non-Green Number Club runners open on 13 November 2024 at 10h00 and will close on 9 December 2024 at 16h30.
Total number of entries will be capped at 23 000.
The entry period will close at 16h30 on 9 December 2024 or once the entry cap of 23 000 has been reached, whichever comes first.
| ENTRY TYPE | ENTRY FEE |
|---|---|
| South Africa Citizens | R1 200 |
| Rest of Africa Entrants | R2 000 |
| International Entrants | R4 500 |
Entry fee is waived for holders of 25 or more Comrades medals.
An entry service provider fee will be charged on the entry over and above the entry fee cost.
ENTRY FEES ARE NON-REFUNDABLE (unless the race is cancelled due to force majeure). No entry transfers or deferrals will be allowed.
ONLINE ENTRIES ONLY
Enter online at www.comrades.com or via the Comrades Marathon App – available for download via the Google Play and Apple App Store. NO POSTAL, FAX, E-MAIL OR MANUAL ENTRIES WILL BE ACCEPTED.
To enter you will require either a Debit / Credit card (Visa / MasterCard) or utilize the online entry instant EFT method.
50% Entry Fee only Part Payment Option:
A 50% Entry Fee only Part Payment option will be made available. Once you have reached the end of the online entry process you will have the option of selecting to either pay your entry fee in full OR over two instalments. The second entry fee instalment (outstanding balance) must be paid by no later than 16h30 on 28 February 2025 in order for your entry to be finalized.
If full and final payment is not made before 16h30 on 28 February 2025 , you will forfeit your entry fee (paid to date) and your entry will be deactivated and removed from the entry system.
The second 50% entry fee instalment can be paid at any time (before 28 February 2025) by logging into your entry profile and selecting the complete entry payment button.
To qualify and participate in the 2025 Comrades Marathon, you will need to adhere to the qualifying criteria below. The cut-off date for supplying the below information in order to make your entry complete is 5 May 2025.
Update your qualifying details either by using your online entry profile, email, contacting the CMA office, or by requesting your club administrator to do so for you by 5 May 2025.
Qualifying details will NOT be accepted at any stage after 5 May 2025 especially at Race Registration.
Criteria:
| DISTANCE OF RACE | TIME |
|---|---|
| 42.2km | 4:49:59 |
| 48-50km | 5:49:59 |
| 52-54km | 6:24:59 |
| 56km | 6:44:59 |
| 60km | 7:19:59 |
| 64km | 7:54:59 |
| 68km | 8:29:59 |
| 80km | 10:24:59 |
| 90km | 11:59:59 |
| 100km | 13:29:59 |
Failure to meet the above stipulated qualifying criteria will result in your entry being rejected.
You will not be able to participate, your details will be removed from our entry database, and you will NOT receive a goodie bag or runner’s t-shirt.
Qualifying times will be submitted for verification to the running club with which you are registered. It however still remains the participants responsibility to ensure their qualifying details are updated accordingly before 5 May 2025.
Only official results, as published, will be accepted (i.e. no Garmin, Strava or any other personal device information).
All entrants will be seeded according to their qualifying times. Entrants who have improved their qualifying times after entering may upgrade their seeding by entering the race name and their qualifying time onto their entry profile before 5 May 2025 via the Comrades Marathon website or Comrades App.
| QUALIFYING RACE DISTANCE | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batch | 42.2 km | 48 - 50 km | 52 - 54 km | 56 km | 60 km | 64 km | 68 km | 80 km | 90km | 100 km |
| A | 2:59:59 | 3:39:59 | 3:59:59 | 4:04:59 | 4:34:59 | 4:54:59 | 5:19:59 | 6:29:59 | 7:29:59 | 8:14:59 |
| B | 3:19:59 | 3:59:59 | 4:19:59 | 4:34:59 | 4:59:59 | 5:24:59 | 5:49:59 | 7:09:59 | 8:14:59 | 9:14:59 |
| C | 3:39:59 | 4:24:59 | 4:49:59 | 4:59:59 | 5:24:59 | 5:49:59 | 6:19:59 | 7:44:59 | 8:59:59 | 10:14:59 |
| D | 3:59:59 | 4:49:59 | 5:14:59 | 5:29:59 | 5:59:59 | 6:29:59 | 6:59:59 | 8:29:59 | 9:44:59 | 10:59:59 |
| E | GREEN NUMBER CLUB | |||||||||
| F | 4:19:59 | 5:14:59 | 5:44:59 | 5:59:59 | 6:29:59 | 6:59:59 | 7:29:59 | 9:09:59 | 10:29:59 | 11:44:59 |
| G | 4:34:59 | 5:34:59 | 6:04:59 | 6:24:59 | 6:59:59 | 7:34:59 | 8:09:59 | 9:59:59 | 11:29:59 | 12:29:59 |
| H | 4:49:59 | 5:49:59 | 6:24:59 | 6:44:59 | 7:19:59 | 7:54:59 | 8:29:59 | 10:24:59 | 11:59:59 | 13:29:59 |
| IRONMAN QUALIFYING TABLE | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Batch | Marathon Leg Of Ironman | |||||||||
| A | 3:30:00 | |||||||||
| B | 3:50:00 | |||||||||
| C | 4:15:00 | |||||||||
| D | 4:40:00 | |||||||||
| E - GREEN NUMBER CLUB | ||||||||||
| F | 5:00:00 | |||||||||
| G | 5:20:00 | |||||||||
| H | Official Finisher over 5:20:00 | |||||||||
All entrants must provide accurate information, including age, gender, qualifying race, qualifying time, club registration, place of domicile and emergency contact information, when applying for entry to the race. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in your entry and registration being rejected.
The CMA will accept substitutions for the 2025 Comrades Marathon during the period of 17 March – 15 April 2025.
How it works:
Entries can be confirmed on the Comrades Marathon website www.comrades.com by viewing the “Entry List” or via the Comrades App by searching for your name. Entries will also be acknowledged to valid e-mail addresses and/or SMS or by other electronic communication means as supplied on your entry form.
It is your personal responsibility to check your details and confirmation of entry on or before 5 May 2025. If any of the details are incorrect, login to your entry profile using your username and password and correct your details or contact the CMA office. Print out your entry confirmation email as this will be required at Race Registration.
You must collect your two Comrades Marathon race numbers, race t-shirt and Goodie Bag from the registration venue you have selected on your entry form.
All runners MUST provide acceptable proof of identification to collect their race number pack i.e., ID book/card, Passport or Driver’s License, along with your race entry confirmation.
Race Packs and T-Shirts will only be available at Registration to individuals who have officially qualified to participate. Race Packs will not be distributed outside of Registration.
NO race numbers will be issued on race day.
| DURBAN | PIETERMARITZBURG |
|---|---|
| Durban Exhibition Centre (DEC) 11 Walnut Road Durban |
Comrades Marathon House 18 Comrades Road Scottsville Pietermaritzburg |
| DATES & TIMES | |
|---|---|
| Thursday 5 June 2025 | 10h00 - 19h00 |
| Friday 6 June 2025 | 09h00 - 19h00 |
| Saturday 7 June 2025 | 09h00 - 16h00 |
Bus tickets from Durban to the start in Pietermaritzburg and from the finish in Durban back to Pietermaritzburg after the race will be available for sale at both race registration venues. No tickets will be available for sale on race day. Further information will be provided in the FRI, on the Comrades Marathon website www.comrades.com and App once available.
The race will be run from “Gun to Gun”. The cut-off times will be confirmed once finalized and will be stipulated in the FRI. The CMA reserves the right to alter these positions and times.
Runners will be ushered off the route and will be required to board a bailer bus for transportation to the finish venue should they not have reached the cut-off points within the specified time. Failing to adhere to this rule will result in disqualification.
The cut-off points will be clearly sign posted.
If you have not reached the finish line before the 12-hour cut-off, you must leave the route and retire from the race immediately. Failure to do so may jeopardise your participation in future years.
Badges and Medals will be awarded to all official finishers who complete the full distance within the 12-hour cut-off.
| MEDALS | |
|---|---|
| Gold | First 10 Men and Women |
| Wally Hayward (Men) Isavel-Roche Kelly (Women) |
Position 11 to 05h59:59 Position 11 to 06h59:59 |
| Silver (Men) Silver (Women) |
6h00:00 to 7h:29:59 07h00:00 to 07h29:59 |
| Bill Rowan | 7h30:00 to 8h59:59 |
| Robert Mtshali | 9h:00:00 to 09h59:59 |
| Bronze | 10h00:00 to 10h59:59 |
| Vic Clapham | 11h00:00 to 11h59:59 |
| POSITION | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Position 1 | R 874 000,00 | R 874 000,00 |
| Position 2 | R 438 000,00 | R 438 000,00 |
| Position 3 | R 315 000,00 | R 315 000,00 |
| Position 4 | R 158 000,00 | R 158 000,00 |
| Position 5 | R 123 000,00 | R 123 000,00 |
| Position 6 | R 71 000,00 | R 71 000,00 |
| Position 7 | R 62 000,00 | R 62 000,00 |
| Position 8 | R 54 000,00 | R 54 000,00 |
| Position 9 | R 45 000,00 | R 45 000,00 |
| Position 10 | R 36 000,00 | R 36 000,00 |
Should the winners (man and woman) of the 2025 Comrades Marathon break the Best Time previously recorded for the “Down Run”, he or she will receive an additional cash payment of R550 000,00.
THE BEST “UP RUN” TIME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED
5:13:58 by Tete Dijana in 2023
5:44:54 by Gerda Steyn in 2023
Participants will not be eligible for a prize in more than one age category, i.e., participants are only eligible for a prize in the age category applicable to him/her or the younger category chosen by him/her as indicated on the official race number/bib. Participants, male or female, who finish the race in first to tenth position, may, however, win his/her position prize as well as any applicable age category prize.
Unless you specifically request in writing to CMA organisers to change your age category to a lower age category, by 5 May 2025 , you will be entered in the age category of your chronological age.
Participants must provide positive identification to verify proof of age. These rules apply to both individual and team categories.
| POSITION | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| 40 - 49 years | ||
| Position 1 | R 22 000,00 | R 22 000,00 |
| Position 2 | R 13 200,00 | R 13 200,00 |
| Position 3 | R 6 600,00 | R 6 600,00 |
| 50 - 59 years | ||
| Position 1 | R 13 200,00 | R 13 200,00 |
| Position 2 | R 6 600,00 | R 6 600,00 |
| Position 3 | R 4 400,00 | R 4 400,00 |
| 60 years + | ||
| Position 1 | R 6 600,00 | R 6 600,00 |
| Position 2 | R 4 400,00 | R 4 400,00 |
| Position 3 | R 3 300,00 | R 3 300,00 |
| 70+ years | ||
| Position 1 | R 5 500,00 | R 5 500,00 |
All team prizes will be calculated on the combined times of the first four (4) club members to finish in the 20-39 category and the first four (4) club members to finish in the 40+ category. In order to qualify for a team prize participants must compete wearing officially registered club colours. The domicile rule will be strictly enforced with the exception of those participants registered on the current ASA National Athlete List.
Team prizes and rules pertaining to the awarding thereof will be detailed in the FRI. Team prizes will only be awarded to South African citizens.
| TEAMS (Recreational Clubs) | ||
|---|---|---|
| POSITION | MEN | WOMEN |
| 20-39 years | ||
| 1st team | R 17 600,00 | R 17 600,00 |
| 2nd team | R 13 200,00 | R 13 200,00 |
| Over 40 years | ||
| 1st team | R 13 200,00 | R 13 200,00 |
| TEAMS (Professional Clubs) | ||
| 1st team | R 40 700,00 | R 40 700,00 |
The first South African citizen (man and woman) to complete the event will each receive an additional R 220 000,00 in prize money.
The first three KwaZulu-Natal Athletes (men and women, as defined below) to complete the event will each receive additional prize money from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, provided they finish within the top 30 men and women.
A KwaZulu – Natal Athlete shall be defined as an athlete domiciled in the province of KwaZulu–Natal and licensed by KwaZulu–Natal Athletics, and includes any athlete domiciled in KwaZulu Natal who is registered on the current ASA National List but is a member of a club in another province.
| POSITION | MEN | WOMEN |
|---|---|---|
| Position 1 | R70 000,00 | R70 000,00 |
| Position 2 | R44 000,00 | R44 000,00 |
| Position 3 | R22 000,00 | R22 000,00 |
The Comrades Marathon Amabeadibeadi Campaign consists of six official charities namely:
Childline KZN, CHOC (Childhood Cancer Foundation of South Africa), Community Chest Durban & Pietermaritzburg, Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust, Rise Against Hunger and SANParks.
The Race4Charity campaign is intended to foster wider support for charitable fundraising for the CMA’s six official charities. Every cent you raise counts and adds to our charities incredible cause. In addition, should you raise R6000 or more, you will have the opportunity to improve your seeding to C batch, although this is not a requirement. Any amount can be raised for charity! To create a fundraising page, log into your entry profile via the Comrades Marathon website and click on Race4Charity Information. Fundraising will remain open until 20 June 2025, but the cut-off for sign up and C seeding is 5 May 2025. Please note that normal race and qualifying rules still apply.
For more information and details on our charity initiative, please visit the Amabeadibeadi Charity Webpage by clicking HERE
