At Comrades, the marathon is your qualifying race
South Africa’s famous road ultra asks for an approved marathon or longer result. The centenary edition also had a ballot, which is a separate thing to get through before you start worrying about the hills.
What marathon time qualifies for Comrades in 2027?
Run an approved marathon in 4:59:59 or faster, or meet the standard for an approved longer event. The qualifying window runs from 15 June 2026 to 3 May 2027.
Tell somebody you’re running a marathon and they’ll ask how far it is. Tell them you’re running the Comrades Marathon and for once that’s a perfectly fair question. In 2027 it’s about 90 km. The marathon comes earlier, on a different day, and gets you through the paperwork.
The 100th edition is on Sunday 13 June 2027. It’s a Down Run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, with a 12-hour race limit. Down is the direction of travel in the broadest possible sense. Anyone expecting a long gentle roll to the coast will have plenty of time to reconsider the wording. [Official route and race rules]
Men’s and women’s qualification
The Comrades Marathon Association publishes one table of qualifying times by distance, with the same standards for men and women and no separate age-graded qualifying times in that table. The minimum age is 20 on the day you qualify. You need an approved race of at least marathon distance between 15 June 2026 and 3 May 2027. The clock standard for a marathon is 4:59:59. An official 4:59:59 meets it. An official 5:00:00 doesn’t. Anybody who has fumbled a gel packet in the closing miles can imagine what it’s like to see those two times on a results page. [Comrades qualification and FAQs]
| Qualifying race distance | Maximum time |
|---|---|
| 42.2 km | 4:59:59 |
| 48 km | 5:59:59 |
| 50 km | 6:09:59 |
| 52–54 km | 6:29:59 |
| 56 km | 6:59:59 |
| 60 km | 7:39:59 |
| 64 km | 8:14:59 |
| 80 km | 10:34:59 |
| 90 km | 11:59:59 |
| 100 km | 13:34:59 |
Check that your qualifying race satisfies the CMA’s verification rules. The organiser wants an official published result. Your watch can tell you that you were magnificent, but it can’t verify your entry. Add your qualifying details to your online profile and complete the compulsory medical questionnaire and remaining checklist by 16:30 South African time on 3 May 2027. Comrades allows runners to enter before recording the qualifying result, so securing a spot and completing the qualification can happen in that order. [Result and profile submission rules]
What the ballot did, and who got an earlier window
Green Number holders and Yellow Number runners had the first entry window. A Green Number is the permanent number many runners earn with ten finishes, and a Yellow Number marks a runner on the verge of earning one. Another window followed before the public ballot, which took applications from 9 to 22 September 2026. General entries closed after the redraws on 30 September. The CMA reported 56,283 entry submissions and ballot applications across the process and 28,070 entries secured. If you’re already in and paying in instalments, the outstanding balance is due by 16:30 South African time on 31 January 2027. The organiser lists a guaranteed-entry tour-operator route for overseas and Rest of Africa runners, subject to availability. The race qualification still applies. [2027 entry figures · Ballot and payment FAQs]
Age categories, wheelchair and adaptive entry
The race’s age categories are separate from the shared qualifying table. The 2027 entry material reviewed here gives no dedicated qualifying times for wheelchair or adaptive entrants. If you need a particular classification, piece of equipment or form of assistance, ask the CMA which arrangements it can approve before you choose a qualifying event or book travel. [Race rules and organiser information]
The runners making it look like a different sport
In the 2026 Up Run, George Kusche won the men’s race in 5:15:56, breaking the Up Run record. Gerda Steyn took her fifth Comrades title in 5:44:53. These are the sort of times you read twice, once to admire them and once to make sure they haven’t accidentally printed the splits for something shorter. Come race day, keep an eye on the closing minutes too. A runner reaching Durban just inside twelve hours will have had a very different morning from the winner, and often gives you just as good a reason to keep watching. [Organiser’s 2026 race report]
Is the Comrades Down Run all downhill?
No. The traditional route is net downhill towards Durban, with climbs around places such as Botha’s Hill and demanding descents such as Fields Hill. The 2027 race starts in Pietermaritzburg and finishes at the Kings Park Rugby Precinct. The final measured route is still to be confirmed. Official course information
