The 2026 Comrades Marathon will offer more than R8.2 mi n prize money and incentives, with the men's and women's winners each set to receive R925 000 and the possibility of earning more than R2.3m through performance bonuses.
The countdown is almost over.
When 21,677 runners depart from outside the Durban City Hall on Sunday morning for the 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon, the global focus will quickly shift to an elite field packed with former champions, course record holders, and athletes convinced that unprecedented times are possible on the 50th official Up Run.
The gruelling 85.777km journey to the finish line at the Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg has attracted one of the deepest fields in recent distance-running history. Reflecting the immense quality on offer, 19 of the top 20 men's and women's finishers from the 2025 race are set to return to the starting pens, with former women's champion Alexandra Morozova the only notable absentee from the elite lineup.
The men's race features a fascinating, multi-layered battle between established recent champions and fearless emerging challengers.
