Date for 2022 Comrades Marathon confirmed

The 95th Comrades Marathon will take place on Sunday, August 28, 2022.

Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Chairperson Cheryl Winn, in a letter addressed to all Comrades Marathon athletes, said the decision was taken primarily with the health and safety of runners in mind.

“We not only endeavour to uphold the integrity of our world-class event but first and foremost aim to safeguard the wellbeing of our athletes, staff, volunteers, sponsors, stakeholders, supporters and fellow South Africans involved in staging, hosting, participating and maintaining the legacy of the Ultimate Human Race,” said Winn.

The new date lends to a “complete revamp” of the CMA’s race calendar.

Winn explained that there were several strong motivating factors that supported the new date, but by far the most pertinent was that the organisers will gain an additional two hours of daylight in which to stage the 12-hour event, which will undeniably serve the best interests of the safety of runners and volunteers, as well as enabling the CMA to implement a staggered or wave start, as will inevitably be required going forward in terms of Covid-19 regulations.

“The date of the 100-year-old Comrades Marathon has over the years shifted from as early as mid-May to as late as mid-July, originally staged on a public holiday known as Empire Day on May 24, 1921, later settled for years on Republic Day, May 31, and with the dawn of the new South Africa on Youth Day, June 16, as well as on various occasions being shifted backwards and forwards to avoid clashes with the hosting of Rugby and Fifa World Cups.

“Only as recently as 2018 did the CMA eventually settle on the second Sunday in June, so, there is actually no ‘traditional’ date for Comrades.”

Scientifically, the problem with the second Sunday of June is its proximity to 21 June, which is the shortest day of the year in the southern hemisphere; thus, thousands of tightly-bunched participants run for an hour and a quarter in the dark, on narrow, winding, pot-holed country roads, mostly devoid of streetlights.

And, the situation is even more precarious for our volunteers, who have the responsibility of setting up and cleaning up, even further into the hours of darkness.

Winn further clarified, “We also believe that the later date will provide a greater likelihood of the sport having resumed to some sort of normality. It will give runners ample time to prepare, for clubs to stage their own races as opportunities for runners to qualify; and enable a smooth and logical build-up of events leading up to a race of such magnitude.”

Details of the entry process, qualifying criteria and other race information will be confirmed at the official media launch, the date of which will be announced in due course.