The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) celebrated another successful fundraising year on Thursday as it held its annual charities handover at the Southern Sun Maharani Hotel in Durban.
A total of R7,166,249 was raised by the 2026 Comrades Marathon’s Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive, and the handover ceremony saw this money divided amongst the event’s six official Amabeadibeadi Charities.
The Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive was established in 1996 when the CMA decided to give back to the communities that have supported the event.
The six official Amabeadibeadi Charities for the 2026 race were Childhood Cancer Foundation (CHOC), SANParks Honorary Rangers, Community Chest Durban & Pietermaritzburg, Hillcrest Aids Centre Trust (HACT), Rise Against Hunger (RAH), and Childline KwaZulu-Natal.
“The Comrades Marathon has always represented far more than the pursuit of a medal. It is a celebration of human endurance, courage, community and, perhaps most importantly, the spirit of giving,” said Nontuthuko Mashimane, vice chairperson of the CMA Board and head of the CMA CSI & Charities Portfolio.
“Through the AmaBeadiBeadi Charity Drive, notably the Race4Charity initiative, the Comrades Marathon provides runners with an opportunity to transform their personal journey into a meaningful contribution to the lives of others. We would like to extend our thanks to all who contributed so generously to the 2026 fundraising campaign.”
Runners who chose to Race4Charity raised just over R4.5m, with Mahesh Ratanjee once again being the top fundraiser, collecting R304 000 for his chosen charity, the Community Chest of Durban & Pietermaritzburg. Ratanjee has now finished as leading Race4Charity fundraiser three years in a row.
The CMA is now calling on runners who will enter in the second and third entry windows to also pledge their support to the Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive, and help extend that new fundraising target still further.
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