The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) launched their 2025 race with the theme ‘More Than A Race – Isiko Mpilo’

CMA Marketing Manager, Delaine Cools unveiled the new campaign slogan reaffirming the event’s attraction as a “life-changing experience, a pilgrimage of sorts and a coming together of a global family of runners who are committed to good sportsmanship and a shared passion for running.”

“There is absolutely no doubt that the 2025 Comrades is going to be one of the most exciting editions of the world-famous ultramarathon as we host the next Down Run in 214 days from today,” said CMA Chairperson, Jeff Minnaar said at the launch of the 98^th edition.

…the winner in both the men’s and women’s races will take home a R874,000 with a total prize purse of over R7 6-million…

The 98^th Comrades Marathon will be a Down Run on Sunday, 8 June 2025, starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 05h30 and finishing 12 hours later at Durban’s Peoples Park, with a race distance of approximately 89km. This will be the 49^th Comrades Down Run.

“As a token of appreciation to all Green Number Club athletes for their many years of loyalty and dedication to The Ultimate Human Race, entries will open ONLY for all Green Number Club runners on 6 November 2024 at 12h00 and will close on 9 December 2024 at 16h30.”

Entries for all Non-Green Number Club runners open on 13 November 2024 at 10h00 and will close on 9 December 2024 at 16h30. The total number of entries will be capped at 23 000. The entry period will close on 9 December 2024 at 16h30 or once the entry cap of 23,000 has been reached, whichever comes first.

Entry fees remain the same as of the 2023 and 2024 races and are as follows:

Entry fee is waived for holders of 25 or more Comrades medals.

• Online entries can be done via the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades.com.

Qualification for the 2025 Comrades Marathon is applicable from 10 June 2024 till 5 May 2025. The qualifying criteria for next year’s Comrades Marathon remain unchanged, requiring completion of a standard, officially timed 42.2km marathon in under 4 hours and 50 minutes, or a 56km ultra-marathon in under 6 hours and 45 minutes.

The substitution process will run over the month of March and April 2025. More details will be revealed closer to the time.

Acting race director Alain Dalais also confirmed that prize money for the 2025 Comrades Marathon has been increased by 10% across the board, meaning that the winner in both the men’s and women’s races will take home a R874,000 with a total prize purse of over R7 6-million, which includes a cash payment of R550 000 should the winners break the Best Time previously recorded for the Down Run in both the men’s and women’s races.

In conjunction with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, the race will incentivise the First, Second and Third KwaZulu-Natal Men and Women home with a cash prize.

There will also be prizes for the First South African man and woman.

The total prize purse is as follows:

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