Runners should pay no attention to a fake press release being circulated, alleging the percentage of novice entries for Comrades 2026 has led to the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) to consider a change to qualification times.

“While this press release looks genuine, even with our official letterhead added, I can confirm that this is fake news,” said CMA GM Alain Dalais.

“To begin with, the percentage of novice runners provided in this fake statement – 73% – is massively inflated – the actual percentage of novices in the field is 25.8% – and the second sentence literally contradicts the first sentence, by then saying that only 68% of those novices are running the event for the first time.

“This entire statement is false, and the CMA is not considering any changes to the qualification times.”

Dalais called on those responsible for spreading this fake news and other rumours to refrain from doing so, and urged runners to scrutinise all Comrades Marathon posts on social media.

“Often there are clues that it is not genuine news, such as in this supposed statement. If in doubt about something you’ve seen or heard, please consult the official Comrades Marathon website – www.comrades.com – and the official social media channels, to verify if we have actually published that news,” he said.

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