A total of 28,000 entries will be accepted and a prize purse of more than R8.9 million will be on offer for next year's race.
Runners participating in the annual Comrades Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP
Comrades Marathon organisers have revealed an unprecedented entry limit, as well as record prize money for the 100th edition of the annual ultra-distance race in 2027.
At the launch of next year’s event, held in Durban on Wednesday, it was confirmed that the entry limit would be capped at 28,000 participants, which would be the largest mass field ever hosted for an ultra-distance road running event.
Entry periods
Runners participating with yellow numbers (having previously finished nine Comrades) and green numbers (those who had finished at least 10 races) would have a priority entry window (between 25 August and 31 August), as would CMA members (between 2-5 September). Entries during these window periods would be taken on a ‘first come first served’ basis.
The first 1,000 runners who supported the Amabeadibeadi charity drive, which required a minimum donation of R10,000, would receive guaranteed entries.
Entries for other runners (52% of the field) would be available via a ballot system during a later window period between 9-22 September.
All entries would be taken online either via the race website or the mobile app.
Entry fees and qualifying
There was no change to this year’s entry fee, with South African runners paying R1,200, participants from other African countries paying R2,000, and entrants from other continents paying R4,500.
Underprivileged runners could again apply to receive a 50% discount on their entry fee via the Comrades Marathon relief fund.
Qualifying criteria also remained unchanged, with entrants needing to run a 42.2km marathon under five hours during the qualifying window period between 15 June 2026 and 3 May 2027.
Prize money and finish venue
Meanwhile, organisers confirmed a prize purse of more than R8.9 million (an increase of 9% on this year’s race) which was the highest prize money ever offered for a road running race in Africa.
The men’s and women’s race winners would each earn R1 million (on top of bonus incentives) and prizes would be offered for the first time to the youngest finisher, the oldest finisher and the first novice.
It was also announced that the 2027 down run, starting in Pietermaritzburg, would finish at Kings Park Sporting Precinct in Durban for the first time.
According to race director Sue Forge, the official distance of the 2027 race would be revealed at a later stage.
