The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has warned runners to be cautious of scammers promising ‘guaranteed’ late entries into the 2026 Ultimate Human Race.

The warning comes as the substitution application window for this year’s event opens on 12 March, introducing a new ballot-based system instead of the traditional first-come, first-served process.

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According to race director Sue Forge, scammers are targeting runners who are desperate to secure an entry through the substitution window.

“We’ve seen many runners posting on social media that they are desperate to secure an entry during the substitution window.

“The scammers are targeting these runners by sending them direct messages or contacting them through various channels, claiming they can sell them an entry or organise one for them,” said Forge.

She said the fraudsters either offer to sell their own entry to another runner or claim they can arrange one through senior CMA officials.

“The scammers claim they can ‘make a plan’ by speaking directly to senior CMA officials, such as the chairperson or vice-chairperson of the CMA board, but say they need a large sum of money to do so,” she said.

In one case reported to the association, a runner was allegedly asked to pay R3 000 to facilitate an entry into the race.

“This is fraudulent, and any such offer is most definitely a scam. The substitution process via the official Comrades Marathon entry system on the Comrades website or the Comrades Marathon app is the only legitimate way to gain entry into the 2026 race,” she said.

She added that runners should not exchange money or entry vouchers with other participants.

Forge urged runners to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity.

“All substitution applications must be processed online through the official Comrades Marathon entry system on the website or the Comrades Marathon app,” she said.

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