Comrades Extends Marathon Qualifying Time
With 150 days to race day, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) announced a significant change to the qualifying criteria for this year’s 98th race. Effective immediately, the qualifying time for the standard 42.2km marathon has been adjusted to 5 hours for all participants. It was 4 hours 50 minutes previously.
The change is aimed at making the Comrades Marathon more inclusive and accessible to a broader range of runners, encouraging more athletes to qualify for and participate in this iconic event, come Sunday, 8 June 2025, organisers said.
The decision was made after careful consideration and consultation with various stakeholders, including athletes, coaches, and running clubs, they added.
The final date for submitting qualifying details for this year’s Comrades Marathon is Monday, 5 May 2025. Athletes must submit their qualifying race and time, running club details, provincial club licence number, and medical questionnaire.
Qualifying for the 2025 Comrades Marathon is applicable as of 10 June 2024 till 5 May 2025. The qualifying criteria for this year’s Comrades Marathon will be to complete a standard 42.2km marathon in under 5 hours.
The 2025 Comrades will be a Down Run on Sunday, 8 June 2025. The race starts at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 05h30 and ends 12 hours later at Durban’s People’s Park, covering an approximately 89km distance. This will be the 49th Down Run.
