That is one-third of the available entries already snapped up. The Early Bird entry process, applicable to South African and Rest of Africa athletes closes on 30 September 2017.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has urged South African athletes to enter the race as soon as possible to take advantage of the discounted entry fee of R460.

James says, ‘The 93rd Comrades Marathon will be the 46th Down Run in the history of the race. Plans are already afoot to ensure a truly memorable experience for our runners come Sunday, 10 June 2018, with Durban’s iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium confirmed as the Finish Venue.’

Meanwhile, James has issued more information on the route change for next year’s race. He has confirmed that the route will only change in the final 8km of the race. He says the aim is to keep the route distance as close as possible to the previous Comrades Down Run route. “The distance of the Down Run in 2016 was 89.2km long and we are working on achieving a distance as close as possible to this.”

“We are currently looking at a modified route from the M13 through the Sherwood and Berea areas to the Moses Mabhida Stadium. As it stands, this will take the athlete through the areas of Sherwood, Sydenham, Overport, Clare Estate and Berea. We will however look at the shortest, most feasible route to ensure that our athletes get to enjoy the best of The Ultimate Human Race.”

James has advised that a detailed route description will be communicated to the athletes as soon as these are concluded. He adds, “The CMA is working closely with the eThekwini Municipality which is our host city partner for the Finish and eThekwini Metro Police; to determine the most feasible and practical route.”

Please visit www.comrades.com for more information.