Ending two consecutive down-runs, the 2024 Comrades Marathon will be run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in 2024.
The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) confirmed that the 97th edition of the race will start in Durban at 5:30am and end 12 hours later in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, June 9, 2024.
CMA chairperson Mqondisi Ngcobo confirmed the news following a board meeting held on Wednesday last week.
“Runners have been awaiting confirmation of the direction of next year’s race, and we are pleased to announce that the 2024 Comrades Marathon will finish in the City of Choice, Pietermaritzburg,” Ngcobo said.
The last Comrades up run happened in 2019 before two consecutive editions of the Ultimate Human Race were cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ngcobo said from that point, the 2022 and 2023 editions of the marathon were down runs, which brought the up and down Comrades on par with the race’s tradition of hosting a down run in odd years and an up run in even years.
CMA race director Rowyn James said they were looking at suitable finish venues in Pietermaritzburg and would confirm further details at the race’s official launch later this year.
This year’s Comrade’s Marathon had a 92.68% finish rate – recorded as the highest finishing rate in the race’s 102-year-history.
In 2023, there were 16 072 Comrades Marathon runners on the start line on Sunday June 11, and 14 896 finishers.
Fundraising for the official Comrades Marathon charities increased by nearly R1 million more in 2023 compared to the previous year with a total of R4 945 096.