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Race GuideMarch 11, 2026· 7 min read

Comrades Marathon 2026: The Ultimate Guide to the World's Greatest Ultra

The Comrades Marathon on June 14, 2026 is the oldest and largest ultramarathon in the world. Here is everything you need to know about running 87 km through KwaZulu-Natal.

The Comrades Marathon on June 14, 2026 is an approximately 87-kilometer ultramarathon between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in South Africa's KwaZulu-Natal province. Founded in 1921, it is the oldest and largest ultramarathon in the world, with over 20,000 runners each year.

Up run vs down run

Comrades alternates direction each year. The "up run" goes from Durban to Pietermaritzburg (net uphill). The "down run" goes from Pietermaritzburg to Durban (net downhill, but with brutal uphills mid-race). Check which direction 2026 is — this significantly affects your pacing and training strategy.

The down run is generally considered easier for first-timers, but the descents punish your quads late in the race. The up run is more honest — you know exactly what you are getting into.

The five big hills

Regardless of direction, you will encounter five major hills. In the up-run direction:

Cowies Hill — The first major climb, about 10 km from the start in Durban. Steep but short.
Fields Hill — The steepest and most feared hill on the course. In the up direction, it is a brutal climb. In the down direction, it destroys quads.
Botha's Hill — A long, grinding climb through the midlands.
Inchanga — A sharp climb that comes when you are already tired.
Polly Shortts — The final significant hill near Pietermaritzburg.

Cutoff times and medals

Comrades has strict cutoffs and a tiered medal system:

Gold — Top 10 men and women
Wally Hayward (men) / Isavel Roche-Kelly (women) — Sub 6:00:00
Silver — Sub 7:30:00
Bill Rowan — Sub 9:00:00
Robert Mtshali — Sub 10:00:00
Bronze — Sub 11:00:00
Vic Clapham — Sub 12:00:00 (the overall cutoff)

The gun goes off at 5:30 AM and the race is over at exactly 12 hours. If you are not across the finish line when the final gun fires, you do not get a medal — even if you are 10 meters away. This is one of the most dramatic moments in sports. Arrive at the finish with time to spare.

Qualifying

To enter Comrades, you need to have completed a marathon in under 5:00:00 within the qualifying period. This is a generous qualifier — most runners who can finish a marathon in under 5 hours can complete Comrades with proper training.

Training

Comrades requires a different approach than marathon training:

Build weekly volume: Peak weeks should reach 90-120 km. You need time on your feet more than speed.
Back-to-back long runs: A 35 km Saturday followed by a 25 km Sunday teaches your body to run on tired legs.
Hill training: If the race is an up run, train on uphills. If it is a down run, train on downhills — downhill running causes more muscle damage.
Run by time, not distance: Many Comrades runners train by hours rather than kilometers. A 4-hour long run teaches you to manage effort over time.

Race day nutrition

You will be running for 8-12 hours. Nutrition is not optional — it is survival. Comrades aid stations (called "tables") are well-stocked with Coke, water, sachets, and food. Many experienced runners rely on Coke in the second half for quick calories and caffeine.

Plan to consume 200-300 calories per hour from a mix of gels, real food, and whatever the aid stations offer. Practice your nutrition strategy in training — your stomach needs to be trained for this.

The Comrades experience

Comrades is more than a race. The crowd support in South Africa is legendary — entire communities turn out to cheer, hand out food, and spray runners with water. The camaraderie between runners is unlike any other event. Faster runners who have already finished often come back out to run slower runners in for the final kilometers.

The energy at the finish is overwhelming. Whether you finish in 6 hours or 11 hours and 59 minutes, you are a Comrades finisher — and that means something in the global running community.