The road to the 100th Comrades Marathon is officially open, and runners will have three chances to secure their place in what promises to be one of the biggest editions of the Ultimate Human Race, reports Zululand Observer.

Entries for the 2027 Comrades Marathon open on Tuesday, (August, 25), following the official launch of the centenary race this past week.

The historic race takes place on Sunday, June 13, 2027, with runners tackling the 89km down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

The 2027 campaign has been given the fitting slogan ‘The Greatest Story Ever Run’, while a special centenary logo has also been unveiled.

Bigger race, bigger finish

The entry cap has been increased to 28 000 runners, up from 24 000 for the 2025 down run and 22 500 for the 2026 up run.

There will also be a new finish venue at the Kings Park Rugby Stadium precinct in Durban.

CMA race director Sue Forge says, “The decision to increase the entry cap to 28 000 has been carefully considered and is supported by extensive operational and safety planning.

“The Kings Park precinct provides significantly more space for the finish area and race village, enabling us to accommodate the larger field while creating a safer, more efficient and more memorable experience for runners, supporters and spectators.”

Entry fees for Comrades 100

Good news for runners: entry fees have not increased since 2022. Next year’s entry fees are:

• South African entrants: R1 200
• Rest of Africa entrants: R2 000
• International entrants: R4 500

Runners can either pay the full amount immediately or use a two-instalment option:

• 50% when entering
• Remaining 50% by 31 January 2027
• Miss the final payment deadline and the entry will be forfeited, including the initial 50% payment, with the place then made available through the substitution process.

Additionals:

• The Comrades Relief Fund will continue, allowing up to 1 500 disadvantaged South African athletes to apply for a reduced entry fee of up to 50%.
• There is another reward for Comrades veterans: runners who have earned 25 or more Comrades medals will again have their entry fee waived.

Entering the 100th Comrades Marathon

The 2027 entry process will take place in three stages.

1. Green and yellow number holders
Opens: Tuesday, 25 August at 10am
Closes: Monday, 31 August at 4.30pm, or sooner if capacity is reached

This first window is for:
Green number holders – runners with 10 or more Comrades medals
Yellow number holders – runners with nine medals who are chasing their Green Number
Entries are first come, first served and capped.

2. CMA members
Opens: Wednesday, 2 September at 10am
Closes: Saturday, 5 September at 10am, or sooner if capacity is reached

This window is reserved for CMA Members who had signed up for annual membership by 18 August 2026.
Once again, entries are first come, first served and limited.

3. General ballot
Opens: Wednesday, 9 September at 10am
Closes: Tuesday, 22 September at 4.30pm
For everyone else, entry will be through a general ballot.
The ballot will be drawn on Wednesday, 23 September, with successful runners notified immediately afterwards.

This includes:
· Novices
· Back-to-back runners
· South African runners
· Rest of Africa runners
· International runners
· Anyone who does not qualify for the first two entry windows

International and Rest of Africa runners wanting to avoid the ballot can make use of the official international tour operator, Marathon Tours & Travel.
Packages include a guaranteed race entry, accommodation, airport and race transfers, meals, celebrations and race-week support, with optional tours and post-race extensions also available.

Amabeadibeadi Charity Entries
Opens: Tuesday, 25 August at 10am
Closes: When the 1,000-entry capacity is reached

There will also be 1 000 guaranteed charity entries available during the first window. Runners will pay the applicable entry fee plus a compulsory R10 000 charitable contribution. That means the initiative has the potential to raise up to R10 million for the eight official Amabeadibeadi charities.

Don’t forget to qualify
You can enter before you’ve completed your qualifying race, but you must qualify by 3 May 2027.
The qualification period runs from 15 June 2026 to 3 May 2027.

The basic qualifying requirement remains:

· Complete an officially timed 42.2km marathon
· Finish in under five hours
Runners must also submit their qualifying information, personal details, medical questionnaire and any seeding upgrade requests by 3 May 2027.
All 2027 Comrades Marathon entries will be completed online via the official Comrades Marathon website – www.comrades.com or the Comrades Marathon app.

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