The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has announced that the route distance for the highly anticipated 98th edition of T-he Ultimate Human Race is a challenging 89.98km.
The 49th Down Run will be taking place on June 8, with the race starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finishing 12 hours later with a street finish outside Durban’s People’s Park.
“This carefully measured course embodies the spirit and tradition of The Ultimate Human Race, promising an unforgettable test of endurance and resilience for all participants. From the start, the route will leave the City of Pietermaritzburg via Chief Albert Luthuli Street, turning right onto Alexandra Road and left onto Ritchie Road, which becomes Washington Road, and proceeding through Mkondeni to Polly Shortt’s. The first 8km of the route is wide, spacious, and well lit, thus ensuring safer running conditions for all participants,” says CMA general manager, Alain Dalais.
The 2025 race will be slightly longer than the 87.701km of the 2023 Down Run, as the finish has been moved from the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Cricket Stadium to a new street finish outside People’s Park, in the northbound lanes of Masabalala Yengwa Avenue.
This will include a finish-line grandstand for spectators erected in the southbound lanes of Masabalala Yengwa Avenue, as well as a hospitality and entertainment area in People’s Park, and space allocated for running club tents on either side of the finish.
The new street finish will create a more inclusive and celebratory atmosphere, as more people can gather to cheer on the participants, while also allowing a better flow of runners and spectators, reducing congestion, and ensuring a smoother finish experience for all.
Runners will also be very pleased to know that no steps will need to be climbed after they finish, with a short, flat walk from the finish line to either the Club Tent hospitality area, or nearby parking areas – and a free shuttle service throughout the day will make getting to the car even easier.
This precise distance of the route has been confirmed following thorough route measurement conducted by the CMA’s Route Portfolio team, in close collaboration with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport’s Road Traffic Inspectorate and the Durban Metro Police.
