News article

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) can confirm that with a combined prize purse of over R8.2-million in prize money and incentive bonuses, the 2026 Comrades Marathon is set to reward the top performing runners well for their race-day efforts.

The top contenders in this year’s race will have more than just fame, glory and bragging rights to race for on Sunday 14 June, in the 99^th edition of the Comrades Marathon. A total prize purse of R5,790,400 is up for grabs across the top 10 positions, individual prizes, age categories, and team prizes for men and women, including prize money for the first South African finisher and top three KwaZulu-Natal athletes.

This includes a staggering R925,000 prize each for the first man and woman over the line, while runners-up will receive R464,000 and third-place finishers R334,000. The prize monies for the top 10 men and women include a Cell C Top-up that boosts their winnings by just over 30%, and the first 10 men and women will also be awarded solid gold medals as well.

A further R2,420,000 is on offer for various records or time incentives, taking the total prize monies available to R8,210,400, which represents a 10% increase across all categories on the total prize monies on offer in the 2025 edition of the race. “This once again shows the Comrades Marathon Association’s commitment to making The Ultimate Human Race the most sought after and most competitive ultra marathon in the world,” says CMA General Manager Alain Dalais.

“For the CMA, increasing the prize purse is not just about keeping up with inflation, we see it as a valuable investment in the world class elite athletes that this race attracts, and who play a leading role in the drama and aspirational element of each year’s Comrades Marathon,” continues Dalais.

“So many of our runners started as young fans, watching the top runners in action during the live broadcasts of the race or standing alongside the route cheering these heroes on, and aspired to also run this great race someday. Increasing the prize purse rewards those top runners not just for their physical performance, but also the role they play in the Comrades Marathon legacy, and continued growth of the event,” adds Dalais.

Unpacking the Prize Purse
All prize monies in the Comrades Marathon are paid out equally for men and women. A total of R4,620,000 has been allocated to the Top 10 category, with men and women receiving equal payouts, including the Cell C Top-up amounts added to each of the top 10 monetary prizes. Prize money will also be awarded across the age categories, with the top three finishers in the 40-49, 50-59, 60-69 and 70+ categories all securing a share of the rewards.

There is a substantial prize of R242,000 for the first South African man and woman over the line, and in conjunction with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, there is also prize money for the top three KZN men and women, provided they finish in the top 30 of their gender.

The men’s and women’s winners will be further incentivised to chase fast times by the bonuses on offer. These include a bonus incentive of R605,000 should either the men’s or women’s race winners break the best time previously recorded for the Up Run. The current men’s Up Run Record is 5:24:49, run by Russian Leonid Shvetsov in 2008, while the women’s Up Run Record of 5:49:46 was set by South Africa’s Gerda Steyn in 2024. With the route being 85.777km long, which is 133 metres shorter than in 2024 and the shortest route distance in recorded history for the Up Run, this incentive may well be claimed on race day by one or both of the race winners.

Thanks to official race sponsor Cell C, there are still more incentives on offer for the top performers. The Cell C Average Pace incentive bonus of R550,000 is on offer to the men’s and women’s winners if they clock an overall average pace per kilometre faster than the previous best performance on the Up Run. There is also a Cell C Hot Spot prize of R55,000 that will be claimed by the first athlete to reach the designated hot spot, and who then also completes the race.

Lucrative Day’s Work!
An athlete will be able to win more than one prize, where applicable. For example, an individual athlete could finish in the top 10 overall, in the top three in an age category, be the first South African over the line and the first KZN athlete, as well as part of a team prize. Another example is that if a South African runner wins the race with new Up Run and Average Pace records, he or she would pocket an incredible R2,322,000 – and could earn still more if he or she also qualifies for a team or age category prize, and the Cell C Hot Spot incentive!

All prize money, trophies and/or special medals will only be issued within 60 days of the announcement of Doping Control results – whether the athlete is tested or not – and subject to clearance. All prize money is subject to South African tax laws, and may take up to three months to process.

BREAKDOWN OF 2026 COMRADE MARATHON PRIZE MONEY

TOP 10 ATHLETES

• The first 10 men and women over the line, irrespective of their age category, will be awarded gold medals as well as the following prize monies.
• The prize monies for the top 10 men and women include a Cell C Top Up that boosts their winnings by just over 30%.

SOUTH AFRICAN ATHLETES

• The first South African citizen (man and woman) to complete the event will each receive an additional prize.

KWAZULU-NATAL ATHLETES

• The first three KwaZulu-Natal Athletes (men and women) to complete the event will each receive additional prize money from the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Arts and Culture, provided they finish within the top 30 men and women.
• A KwaZulu-Natal Athlete shall be defined as an athlete domiciled in the province of KwaZulu-Natal and licensed by KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, and includes any athlete domiciled in KwaZulu-Natal who appears on the current ASA National List and is a member of a club in another province.

AGE CATEGORIES

• All age category prizes will be awarded as per chronological age as printed on an athlete’s race number. This also applies to team prizes.
• Unless an athlete specifically requested in writing to the CMA before 4 May 2026 to change their age category to a lower age category, they will be entered in the age category of their chronological age.
• Athletes will not be eligible for a prize in more than one age category, i.e., athletes are only eligible for a prize in the age category applicable to him/her or the younger category chosen by him/her as indicated on the official race number/bib.
• Athletes must provide proof of their age in order to claim an age category prize.

TEAM COMPETITION

• Team prizes will only be awarded to South African citizens.
• All athletes declared as being in the professional team category are automatically eliminated from any recreational team competition.
• All team prizes will be calculated on the combined times of the first four (4) club members to finish the race.
• To qualify for a team prize, athletes must compete wearing their club colours approved by their provincial athletics federation.
• The ASA domicile rule will be strictly enforced, except for those athletes appearing on the current ASA National Athlete List.

BREAKDOWN OF 2026 COMRADES MARATHON INCENTIVE BONUSES

BEST ‘UP RUN’ TIME

• Should the winners (man and woman) of the 2026 Comrades Marathon break the Best Time previously recorded for the ‘Up Run,’ he or she will receive an additional cash payment.
• The best ‘Up Run’ times previously recorded are:
  Men: 5:24:49 by Leonid Shvetsov in 2008
  Women: 5:49:46 by Gerda Steyn in 2024

CELL C AVERAGE PACE

• Should the winners (man and woman) of the 2026 Comrades Marathon break the fastest average pace previously recorded for the ‘Up Run,’ he or she will receive an additional cash payment.
• The best ‘Up Run’ average paces previously recorded are:
  Men: 3:43.75/km by Vladimir Kotov in 2000
  Women: 4:04.28/km by Gerda Steyn in 2024

CELL C HOT SPOT

• The first athletes (man and woman) to pass the designated Cell C Hot Spot, and to then complete the race (irrespective of final finishing position), will qualify for the Hot Spot cash incentive.