The official distance for this year’s Comrades Marathon Up Run, from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, has been confirmed as 85.777km, reports Northglen News.

That makes this year’s Up Run, the shortest in recent Comrades Marathon history.

The previous shortest race distance was 85.910km in the 2024 Up Run, which also started in front of Durban City Hall and finished at the HollywoodBets Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg.

Officially, this year’s event will be 133m shorter than the 2024 event, which itself was 820m shorter than the 2019 Up Run, measuring 86.730km.

Comrades Marathon race director Sue Forge explained that the slight reduction in distance is largely due to route adjustments necessitated by ongoing infrastructure developments.

“The ongoing roadworks have had a significant impact on the route and our planning. However, thanks to the outstanding collaboration and support of the municipalities, the Road Traffic Inspectorate, Durban Metro Police and Msunduzi Traffic Police, we have been able to finalise a route,” she said.

Forge adds that the route not only provides a slightly shorter distance for runners, but also improves the management of road closures, traffic flow, infrastructure removal and post-race clean-up.

This year’s run takes place on June 14 and will be the 99th edition of the race, as well as the 50th Up Run.

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