Comrades Marathon: the down run course, hills and 2027 date

Comrades Marathon 2027: date, venue, entry

Date: Sunday 13 June 2027.

Route and distance: a down run, starting in Pietermaritzburg and finishing in Durban. The organisers give the distance as approximately 90 km, to be confirmed in the Final Race Instructions. The cut-off is 12 hours after the start.

Entry fees: R1,200 for South African citizens, R2,000 for other African entrants, including Kenyans, and R4,500 for international entrants, plus an administration fee from the entry platform, Easyreg. A part-payment option lets you pay 50% first, with the balance due by 16:30 on 31 January 2027.

Entry windows: Green and Yellow number holders entered from 25 to 31 August 2026 and CMA members from 2 to 5 September 2026. The general ballot ran from 9 to 22 September 2026, with a non-refundable R10 application fee and the draw on 23 September. Charity entries through the Amabeadibeadi programme need a R10,000 contribution on top of the entry fee.

Qualifying: you need an official qualifying race, such as a marathon in 4:59:59 or faster, and your qualifying details must be in by 3 May 2027.

Race pack: the Final Race Instructions are included in the race pack, and entrants who qualify receive a race T-shirt and goodie bag.

Official website: www.comrades.com

Checked on 8 November 2026 against the official race website; confirm details there before you enter.

The down run course

The down run starts at Pietermaritzburg City Hall. Polly Shortts comes early and matters little in this direction. The route then rises to Umlaas Road, the highest point of the race at about 870 m, and passes Camperdown and Cato Ridge before the steep, twisting Inchanga hill, with views over the Valley of a Thousand Hills.

Halfway is at Drummond. Just after it come Arthur's Seat, a niche in the bank where runners greet five-time winner Arthur Newton and leave a flower, and the Wall of Honour. The second half drops down Botha's Hill, through Hillcrest, Gillitts and Kloof, then down Fields Hill to Pinetown and over Cowies Hill and Westville into Durban, finishing at the Moses Mabhida Stadium precinct.

We print the 2025 down run, which measured 89.98 km. Our line covers about 90.8 km.

The Big Five hills

Comrades runners talk about the Big Five: Polly Shortts, Inchanga, Botha's Hill, Fields Hill and Cowies Hill. On the down run most of them are descents, and the long drops of Fields Hill and Cowies Hill come late, when legs are already tired.

Running it

A few things decide a good Comrades:

• Train for downhill running as well as distance: the late descents punish unprepared legs.
• Know the cut-offs: runners who miss one are taken off the course and bussed to the finish.
• Your seconds may hand you food and drinks anywhere on the route, but they must stand still; pacing is not allowed.

Frame your finish

We print the Comrades down run on the real terrain between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, with the Big Five standing out in 3D. Add your name, date and finish time and we work out your pace for the full distance.