First 2027 Comrades Marathon Entry Window Closed, Record for Charity Donations Already Broken

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: The first Entry Window for the 2027 Comrades Marathon, for Green and Yellow Number-holders, opened at 10am on Tuesday, 25 August, and closed just seven hours later, with all available entries in this window having been snapped up in record time. This was the first of three entry windows for the 100th edition of the race, taking place on Sunday, 13 June 2027.

Meanwhile, the amount of money raised for the event’s official charities has already gone past the R8.6-million mark, beating the previous record of R8,012,438 raised by the 2025 Comrades Marathon, and putting the 2027 event well on track to passing the R15-million target set by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) for the Centenary Edition of the race.

FIRST ENTRY WINDOW CLOSED
Entry Window 1 was reserved for Green Number-holders (runners with 10 or more medals) and Yellow Numbers (those runners on nine medals who will be aiming to earn their Green Numbers in 2027). This was the third year that Green Numbers were given an early entry window, and the first time that Yellow Numbers were included, both as a vote of thanks from the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) for the runners’ many years of commitment to the race. The entries were sold on a first come, first served basis, and the scheduled closing date of this window was Monday 31 August at 16h30, or sooner if capacity was reached.

“The CMA anticipated exceptionally high demand for the 2027 race, given the significance of the 100th edition and the special centenary celebrations, promotions and activations planned around it. Even so, the speed at which this first allocation was taken up has been extraordinary,” says CMA Race Director Sue Forge. “We want to thank our Green and Yellow Number runners for their incredible enthusiasm and loyalty, and we look forward to welcoming them to the start line of the historic 100th Comrades Marathon on Sunday, 13 June 2027.”

“Green and Yellow Number runners who were unable to secure an entry during the first window should not lose heart. Those who are eligible CMA Members will have another opportunity through the second entry window, while the General Ballot Application window will provide a further opportunity to secure a place in this milestone event,” adds Forge.

CHARITY RECORD BROKEN
At the same time as the first window opened, 1000 Amabeadibeadi Charity Entries also went on sale. This is a new initiative introduced by the CMA for the 2027 race, offering participants the opportunity to purchase a guaranteed entry at the applicable base entry fee, together with a compulsory charitable contribution of R10,000 per entry to the official CMA Amabeadibeadi Charity Drive.

By 10am on Wednesday 26 August, just over 800 of these entries had been sold in the first 24 hours, meaning that over R8-million has already been raised for the event’s charity drive. In addition, some runners have added charitable donations to their entry fees for the CMA’s Race4Charity initiative, and this brings the total charity donations to R8,662,714, breaking the previous record of R8,012,438 raised by the 2025 Comrades Marathon.

“We are absolutely delighted by the extraordinary response to the Amabeadibeadi Charity Entries. In just 24 hours, our runners have already helped us surpass the previous fundraising record and achieve an incredible total in support of the CMA’s official charity programme,” says Forge. “Their generosity will extend the impact of the 2027 Comrades Marathon far beyond race day by supporting the vital work of our eight official Amabeadibeadi Charities across South Africa. This includes assistance to vulnerable communities and survivors of abuse, humanitarian relief, support for military veterans, and environmental conservation.”

“To every runner who has secured an Amabeadibeadi Charity Entry or contributed through Race4Charity, thank you for choosing to make your journey to the 100th Comrades Marathon count for so much more. Your generosity is already making a meaningful difference and contributing to the lasting legacy of this historic event,” adds Forge.

TWO MORE ENTRY WINDOWS
The next step in the entry process for the 2027 Comrades Marathon will see Entry Window 2 open on Wednesday 2 September 2026 at 10h00. This window is reserved for CMA Members who signed up for an annual membership of the association by the 18th of August 2026. This window will also work on a first come, first served basis, and entries will be limited, with the window due to close on Saturday 5 September 2026 at 10h00 (or sooner if capacity is reached)

That will be followed by Entry Window 3 opening on Wednesday 9 September 2026 at 10h00, for General Ballot Applications. This window will remain open until Tuesday 22 September 2026 at 16h30, and is open to all prospective entrants who did not qualify for either of the early entry windows (or were unsuccessful in securing an entry in one or both of those windows).

All entrants who sign up in Entry Window 3 will go into the ballot draw on Wednesday 23 September. Runners who are successful in the draw will be notified immediately after the draw.

“The three-stage entry process has been designed to recognise the heritage, loyalty and sense of community that lie at the heart of the Comrades Marathon, while managing the extraordinary demand for the 100th edition in a fair and responsible manner,” explains Forge. “The first two protected entry windows acknowledge the longstanding commitment of our Green and Yellow Number holders and CMA Members, while the General Ballot provides all applying runners a fair opportunity to be part of the 2027 race.”

“We encourage all prospective entrants to diarise the dates of the two remaining entry windows and closely follow the official Comrades Marathon communication channels for the latest information and updates,” concludes Forge.

All entries for the 2027 Comrades Marathon are taken online, via the Comrades Marathon website (comrades.com) or on the Comrades Marathon app. For more information, Entry FAQs are available on the website and app.

Comrades Marathon Prize Money to be Paid After 2026 Results Confirmed

Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) is pleased to announce that the South African Institute of Drug-free Sport (SAIDS) has confirmed that all tested athletes who completed the 2026 Comrades Marathon have returned negative results for prohibited substances. This clears the way for more than R8-million in prize money and incentives to be paid out by the CMA, as well as for the issuing of gold medals to the top 10 men and women.

CMA Race Director Sue Forge says, “The 2026 race produced exceptional performances, including two new race records. We welcome SAIDS’ confirmation that all athletes tested returned negative results for prohibited substances. We applaud these athletes for upholding the principles of fair competition and contributing to a clean and credible sport.”

“The CMA can now officially confirm the results and records from the 2026 race and begin processing the payment of prize money and incentives. We are committed to completing this process as quickly and efficiently as possible so that the athletes are rewarded for their outstanding performances. We once again congratulate our 2026 champions and every category winner on a phenomenal race!”

BIGGEST PRIZE PURSE
The top contenders in this year’s race had a total prize money purse of R5,790,400 to race for 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. The prize for the first man and woman was a staggering R925,000 each, including a Cell C Top-up that boosted their winnings by just over 30%. (This Cell C Top-up was also applied to all top 10 positions.)

A further R2,420,000 was on offer for various records or time incentives, including the Cell C Hot Spot and Cell C Average Pace bonus incentives, taking the total prize monies for the 2026 race to R8,210,400. This represented a 10% increase across all categories on the total prize monies on offer in the 2025 edition of the race and made the 2026 prize money purse the largest ever in the history of the Comrades Marathon.

“This once again demonstrates the CMA’s commitment to ensuring that The Ultimate Human Race remains one of the world’s most sought after and competitive ultramarathons. Increasing the prize money purse represents an important investment in the world class elite athletes that the race attracts. These athletes play a major role in the excitement, drama and inspiration that make the race so special each year,” says Forge.

RECORD-BREAKING RESULTS
The 2026 Comrades Marathon was the 99th edition of the race overall, and the 50th Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. It was the shortest Up Run route in recorded history, with the 85.777km route measuring 133 metres shorter than the previous Up Run in 2024, and was expected to deliver fast times, perhaps even records.

In a dramatic day of racing, line honours on the day were claimed by South Africans George Kusche and Gerda Steyn, with both winners crossing the line in new race records and claiming huge paydays through the combination of prize monies and various incentives they earned.

Kusche won the men’s race in 5:15:56, shattering the 18-year-old Up Run Record of 5:24:49 (Leonid Shvetsov, 2008). He also managed an average pace of 3:40.99 per kilometre, breaking the Best Average Time Record of 3:43.75/km set by Vladimir Kotov in 2000. This was Kusche’s first Comrades Marathon win, in just his second run, having finished 12th on debut in 2025.

Second over the line was Dutchman Piet Wiersma, the 2024 winner and defending champion in the Up Run, who finished in 5:19:36. Third home was SA’s Mbuti Mollo, in 5:21:31, and he also claimed the Cell C Hot Spot prize for being first finisher through the Camperdown timing point. Current 50km World Champion Alex Milne (Great Britain) was fourth in 5:22:29, while former 100km World Champion Japan’s Haruki Okayama finished fifth in 5:24:46, with both also dipping under the previous Up Run best time.

In the women’s race, Steyn cruised to her third Up Run victory and fifth Comrades Marathon title overall, with an impressive time of 5:44:53. This was well inside her own race record for the women’s Up Run of 5:49:46, which she set in 2024. Steyn also set a new Best Average Pace for the Up Run, with 4:01.24 per kilometre to beat her 2024 best of 4:04.28/km. With a fifth win, Steyn became just the second woman to win the Comrades Marathon five times – the other is Elena Nurgalieva (eight wins) – and one of just seven athletes to achieve this feat.

Second over the line was Zimbabwean Nobukhosi Tshuma, who finished in 5:53:36 and improved greatly on her fifth-place finish in 2024, while third place went to SA’s Irvette van Zyl in 6:02:30, one position better than the fourth place she achieved in her Comrades Marathon debut in 2025. Fourth was Kenyan Shelmith Muruiki (6:06:38), the 2025 third-place finisher, who also took first place in the women’s 40-49 age category, with Great Britain’s Naomi Robinson fifth in 6:07:55, improving considerably on her 15th place in her Comrades Marathon debut in 2025.

PRIZE MONEY BONANZA
Kusche and Steyn’s record-breaking performances saw them both earn over R2-million in prize money and incentive bonuses. This includes the first-place prize money, including the Cell C Top-up, of R925,000, as well as the R242,000 prize for being the first South African over the line. They also both earned a R605,000 incentive bonus for breaking the best time previously recorded for the Up Run, as well as claiming the Cell C Average Pace incentive bonus of R550,000. That took their individual winnings to R2,322,000 each.

To add to her incredible day, Steyn was also the first woman through the Cell C Hot Spot in Camperdown, and she was part of the Hollywood Athletics Club team that claimed the Women’s Elite Team prize. With these additional prizes, her earnings for the day jumped to R2,388,192, the largest prize money purse ever won by a single athlete in the history of the race.

Reflecting on a successful 99^th edition of the race, Forge says, “We are incredibly proud of the 2026 race, and our two record-breaking winners, George Kusche and Gerda Steyn. They proved they were the best on the day, and they have been richly rewarded for their world-class performances with over R2-million in prize money and incentives each.”

“Now we look forward to the 2027 Down Run, and one of the biggest running celebrations yet as the Comrades Marathon celebrates its 100th edition. As part of this historic occasion, our leading athletes will once again be incentivised to push the boundaries, thanks to an even greater prize money purse, which the CMA will be announcing soon!” concludes Forge.

OFFICIAL CONFIRMED RESULTS OF THE 2026 COMRADES MARATHON

Top 10 Men
1 George Kusche        Nedbank Running Club GN                       South Africa                            5:15:56
2 Piet Wiersma            Nedbank Running Club International        Netherlands                            5:19:36
3 Mbuti Mollo               Maxed Elite KZN                                       South Africa                            5:21:31
4 Alex Milne                 Nedbank Running Club International        Great Britain                           5:22:29
5 Haruki Okayama       Nedbank Running Club International        Japan                                     5:24:46
6 Charles Lawrence     Adidas                                                       United States of America       5:27:08
7 Lloyd Bosman           Nedbank Running Club SWD                   South Africa                            5:28:53
8 Nikolai Volkov           Nedbank Running Club International        ANA                                        5:28:59
9 Vasilii Korytkin          Kemerovo Runners                                    ANA                                        5:29:29
10 Tebogo Pulusa        Dwarsrivier Mine Athletic Club                  South Africa                            5:29:40

Top 10 Women
1 Gerda Steyn               Hollywood Athletic Club CGA                  South Africa                           5:44:53
2 Nobukhosi Tshuma     Entsika                                                    Zimbabwe                              5:53:36
3 Irvette van Zyl             Hollywood Athletic Club CGA                  South Africa                           6:02:30
4 Shelmith Muruiki         Entsika                                                    Kenya                                    6:06:38
5 Naomi Robinson         Nedbank Running Club International      Great Britain                          6:07:55
6 Loveness Madziva      Nedbank Running Club Zimbabwe         Zimbabwe                              6:09:54
7 Courtney Olsen           Hollywood Athletic Club International     United States of America       6:11:20
8 Dikiledi Majara            Nedbank Running Club AFS                   Lesotho                                  6:12:29
9 Jenet Mbhele              Umzimkhulu Striders                               South Africa                           6:13:08
10 Carla Molinaro          Hollywood Athletic Club International      Great Britain                          6:14:04

For the full results of the 2026 Comrades Marathon, go to https://comrades.com/2026-entry-list.

How the TTOM 2027 ballot worked

Due to unprecedented demand, a random ballot was used to allocate entries for both the Ultra and Half Marathon events.

Here’s a simple breakdown of how the process worked.

A verified process

The ballot draw process was formalised and approved by the TOM Board and Race Advisory Committee.

PKF Auditors were appointed to independently oversee and verify the ballot selection process. They helped to ensure that the agreed ballot procedures were followed and that the selection process was independently verified.

Ultra Marathon ballot process

The Ultra Marathon ballot was drawn at random.

Runners with seven (7) or more finishes in either the Ultra or Half Marathon events received an additional ballot entry into the draw.

Half Marathon 

at random.
The Half Marathon ballot was split into two equal draws, with both draws being done

First draw

The first draw was applicable only to licenced club runners.

In addition any runners with seven (7) or more finishes in either the Ultra or Half Marathon events were also included, and received an additional ballot entry into the first draw.

Second draw  

The second draw was applicable to any unsuccessful ballots from the first draw, together with all unlicenced runner ballots. 

Applied for both races?

If you applied for both the Ultra and Half Marathon ballots, you were included in both ballot draws, which were conducted independently.

If you were selected for both, your stated race preference determined which entry you secured.

Didn't secure an entry?

Don't despair – there are still opportunities to get to the start line through official charity entries, substitutions and sponsor competitions.

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