• Female entries up by 7.5% – almost 30% of the field
• Most common age group 40-49
• Oldest entrant is 88 with 14 entrants over 80

With general entries closed for the 2027 Comrades Marathon on 30 September, following the second redraw and debit payment deadline, Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) have shared all the statistics from the field of 28 070 athletes who secured an entry.

The extraordinary interest in the Centenary edition prompted the CMA to increase the entry cap to 28000 athletes – up from 22 000 entries in 2026, and 24 000 for the most recent Down Run in 2025 – and the 2027 race will have the largest field in Comrades history after 56 283 entry applications were received.

“The entry framework was informed by a review of participation statistics from 2022 to 2026, as well as the CMA’s long-term strategic goals. We sought to balance recognition of loyalty, support for milestone journeys and charitable causes, growth in female and international participation, and access for the wider running community, within the event’s capacity,” said Race Director Sue Forge.

2027 ENTRANT STATS
Compared with previous editions, the make-up of the 2027 field is very similar. For comparison, both 2026 and 2025 stats are provided, with 2026 as the most recent edition of the race and 2025 as the most recent Down Run. However, the 2027 figures provide a snapshot of the current entry field and may change following the substitution process. Also, many entrants still need to complete a qualifying race by 3 May 2027 to secure their place on the start line.

1 General Data
While the majority of the field will once again be South African, the percentage of entries from the rest of Africa and international countries (outside Africa) has increased – quite substantially in the case of non-African countries.

The gender breakdown shows a bigger swing, with the percentage of female entrants up 7.5%. “Growing female participation is an important strategic priority for the CMA, and we are encouraged that women account for almost 30% of the 2027 field – the largest ever female participation in the history of the race. Beyond securing an entry, we want to support more women through their preparation and onto the start line,” says race director, Sue Forge.

As in previous years, the most common age group in the 2027 field will be 40-49, followed by 50-59. There are also 14 entrants in their 80s, with the oldest being 88. English is the most common language spoken by entrants, and managers and accountants/auditors are the most common occupations.

	2027 Nrs	2027 %	2026 Nrs	2026 %	2025 Nrs	2025 %
Entry Type
South African	23,130	82.4%	19,798	87.3%	20,933	86.6%
Rest of Africa	2,103	7.5%	1,547	6.8%	1,329	5.5%
International	2,837	10.1%	1,331	5.9%	1,910	7.9%
Total	28,070		22,676		24,172
Gender
Male	19,762	70.4%	17,670	77.9%	19,181	79.4%
Female	8,308	29.6%	5,006	22.1%	4,991	20.6%

Age Range
20-29	966
30-39	5,836
40-49	11,119
50-59	7,259
60-69	2,487
70-79	389
80-89	14
Oldest/Youngest Entrants
Oldest Male Entrant	88
Oldest Female Entrant	78
Youngest Male Entrant	20
Youngest Female Entrant	20
Top 5 Most Common Languages (Top 5)
English	14,078
Afrikaans	3,781
IsiZulu	3,174
IsiXhosa	1,498
Northern SeSotho	1,347
TOP 10 Most Common Occupations
Manager	2833
Accountant / Auditor	2048
Information Technology	1163
Financial / Banking	1060
Unemployed	825
Retired	788
Doctor / Specialist	664
Teacher	610
Advocate / Attorney	597
Clerk / Admin	564

2 Geographic Data
The entry system for the 2027 race has led to significantly more countries or independent territories being represented in the field, jumping from 81 to 129. This includes 23 countries or territories in the Western Hemisphere, including the North American and South American continents as well as the Caribbean.

“The ballot application window gave runners across different time zones the flexibility to apply without needing to be online at the moment entries opened. Our CMA Ambassadors in several countries shared positive feedback on this welcome change,” says Forge.

Of the 22,979 South African-based runners, Gauteng is once again the most represented province, accounting for 46% of the field, followed by KwaZulu-Natal and the Western Cape. The biggest change in this subset of the data is the Eastern Cape dropping from third to fourth on this list (the same position it held in 2025), and it is the only province to see a decline in the number of 2027 entries compared to 2026.

The top five SA running clubs from 2026 still make up the top five for 2027, with Hollywood Athletics Club KZN once again leading the way, but with just one entry more than Team Vitality Athletics Club Central Gauteng. (Please note: Since South African runners were not required to list a running club when entering, this sub-set of statistics is not complete, but is included here for interest.)

	2027 Nrs	2027 %	2026 Nrs	2026 %	2025 Nrs	2025 %
Number of Countries Represented
Countries	129		81		84
Top 5 Countries with Most Entries (Same order as in 2026)
South Africa	23,130	82.4%	19,991	88.2%	21,087	87.2%
Zimbabwe	668	2.4%	489	2.2%	396	1.6%
India	588	2.1%	279	1.2%	415	1.7%
UK	457	1.6%	256	1.1%	356	1.5%
Botswana	423	1.5%	293	1.3%	262	1.1%
Provincial Breakdown (SA-based entrants – order differs to 2026)
Gauteng	10,572	46%	8,940	44.8%	9,316	44%
KwaZulu-Natal	4,868	21.2%	3,865	19.4%	4,414	20.8%
Western Cape	2,998	13%	1,966	9.9%	2,165	10.2%
Eastern Cape	1,137	4.9%	2,077	10.4%	1,941	9.2%
Limpopo	932	4.1%	903	4.5%	961	4.5%
Mpumalanga	928	4.1%	867	4.3%	922	4.4%
Free State	664	2.9%	578	2.9%	616	2.9%
North West	663	2.9%	563	2.8%	637	3%
Northern Cape	217	0.9%	187	0.9%	209	1%
Total	22,979		19,946		21,181
Clubs with Most Entries (Same top five as in 2026, but order differs)
Hollywood AC KZNA	868		1,027		1,051
Team Vitality AC CG	867		906		948
Team Vitality AC GN	481		440		439
Run Zone AC	421		379		421
Waterfall AC	379		460		423

3 Experience Data
During the entry process, a false rumour spread that Novice runners (entering their first Comrades Marathon) would be given special preference in the ballot draw, at the expense of more experienced runners who had completed the race before. Another rumour was that first-time finishers in 2026 who want to go for their Back2Back medal in 2027, would not have a fair chance to secure an entry for next year. As can be seen in the statistics, the ratio of novices in the field has actually declined from just under 24% to 14%, showing that a larger proportion of previous finishers were drawn by the ballot system, while the number of Back2Back runners in the field has grown considerably from 2026 numbers, but the proportion of the total field remains almost the same.

Another point of contention was that many runners with one to nine medals missed out on a ballot entry, but the statistics show that this is actually the grouping with the highest proportion of entrants, with these runners making up over two-thirds (67.9%) of the field. The next biggest grouping in this sub-set of data is the 16.9% of runners with no medals (2027 Novice entrants plus runners who have previously started but not successfully finished the race), followed by runners with 10-19 medals (12.2%).

Meanwhile, the percentage of Green Number Club runners in the field has grown considerably, from 10.9% to 15.2%, and the CMA can debunk another misconception.

“There were concerns that those runners aiming for a milestone, such as going for their 10th medal to earn their Green Number, or their 20th medal for a Double Green, would not be able to secure an entry, but once again, the statistics show that both the overall number of Green Number runners and the number of milestone runners have increased for 2027,” says Forge. “This is mainly thanks to the first entry window reserved for Green and Yellow Numbers, which contributed to a healthy increase from 2,461 Green Number entrants in 2026, to 4,271 for 2027.”

	2027 Nrs	2027 %	2026 Nrs	2026 %	2025 Nrs	2025 %
Experience
Novice Runners	3,923	14%	5,377	23.7%	5,997	24.8%
Returning Runners	24,147	86%	17,299	76.3%	18,175	75.2%
Total	28,070		22,676		24,172
Aiming for Back2Back	3,735	13.3%	3,052	13.5%	3,272	13.5%
Green Number Club	4,271	15.2%	2,461	10.9%	2,659	11%
CMA Members	8,419	30%	949	4.2%	285	1.2%
Milestones
Running 10th	857		517		533
Running 20th	150		95		104
Running 30th	40		26		32
Running 40th	2		1		0
Running 50th	1		0		2

	Male	Female	Total	% of Field
Number of Finishes
0*	2,926	1,822	4,748	16.9%
1-9	13,228	5,823	19,051	67.9%
10-19	2,848	581	3,429	12.2%
20-29	626	71	697	2.5%
30-39	123	11	134	0.5%
40-49	10	0	10	0.04%
50+	1	0	1	0.004%
TOTAL	19,762	8,308	28,070

*  Includes both Novice (first-time) entrants and those runners who have started but not finished the race.

Last Chance
“Runners are reminded that they will have one last chance to secure an entry for the 2027 Comrades Marathon, through the official Comrades Marathon Substitution Process,” said Forge. “We will share more information on the process to be followed closer to the time, and urge those runners who would still like to secure an entry to be ready when the substitution window opens.”

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