Comrades entries all snapped up in record time

Entries have been sold out in record time for the 94th edition of the Comrades Marathon, with organisers confirming on Friday morning they had reached the cap of 25 000 participants for the 2019 race just one week after opening the registration process.

This bettered the previous record sellout when entries were snatched up in three weeks for the 2018 edition of the annual ultra-marathon in KwaZulu-Natal.

“We reached the cap of 25 000 entries last night and therefore shut down the entry process,” said race director Rowyn James.

“The unprecedented demand for Comrades Marathon entries has been amazing.”

Individuals who hoped to participate could still grab a spot in the field during the substitution window between March 1 and April 15 next year, when entrants who had withdrawn could pass their race numbers on to others who missed out.

“We recommend that all runners keep training and stick to their fitness goals,” said CMA chairperson Cheryl Winn.

“The possibility of a Comrades substitution is still there, so we urge our runners to not lose all hope.”

The 2019 edition of the 87km race, an ‘up’ run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, was set to be held on June 9.

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