With all the bonuses on offer, the men's and women's winners could each take home more than R2.4 million.
Gerda Steyn will target her fifth victory in the women’s race at the Comrades Marathon this weekend. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Elite athletes will be chasing a record prize purse of more than R8.2 million at the 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon between Durban and Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.
We take a look at how much money is on the line at the annual ultra-marathon.
Gold medallists
A total of R4.62 million is up for grabs, along with solid gold medals, to the top 10 men and women who reach the finish at Scottsville racecourse.
The winners will each receive R925,000, which is the highest amount ever paid to the champions of a road race on the African continent.
Bonus prizes
If the race winners break the ‘up run records, held by Leonid Shvetsov (5:24:49) and Gerda Steyn (5:49:46), they will each pocket an additional R605,000.
And with the race distance changing every year (this year’s edition is the shortest in the history of the race at 85.77km), the winners will also get an extra R550,000 for the fastest average pace recorded at the annual event.
And R55,000 is on offer for the first man and woman who reach the Cell C Hot Spot along the route and are able to reach the finish.
Local athletes
The first South African man and woman will each receive R242,000.
In addition, the top three men and women who are based in KwaZulu-Natal will earn additional prize money, provided they finish among the top 30 athletes overall.
The first KZN athletes to finish will each earn R77,000.
Age groups and teams
Multiple other prizes are on offer on race day, including cash prizes in various age groups, as well as club team prizes.
In four age groups from 40-49 to 70+, the total cash amount up for grabs is R200,860.
In the team competition, which is only open to South African citizens, the winning men’s and women’s professional clubs will be chasing R44,770.
Among recreational clubs, the top two men’s and women’s teams will earn a total of R67,760, and the winning teams in the 40-49 age group will get R14,520 each.
Highest potential earnings
If a South African athlete from KZN wins the race, sets a new record, runs the fastest average pace, reaches the hot spot first and is part of the winning team, they will pocket a total of R2.473 million, on top of potential age group prizes.
This would easily be the most amount of prize money ever won by an athlete at a road race of any distance in Africa and at any ultra-marathon in the world.
