Durban- The Comrades Marathon 2018 promises to be another spectacle with a slight deviation of the route.
The 93rd marathon between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban will take place on Sunday starting at 05h30. The race will end at the Moses Mabhida Stadium for the first time. Previous races ended at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium on the down run.
Comrades Marathon Origins
The first Comrades Marathon was run on Empire Day, 24 May 1921, when 34 runners lined up before the Pietermaritzburg City Hall to commence a race to Durban to commemorate the spirit and camaraderie of the soldiers who fought in the Great War.
It owes its origins to the tireless efforts of its founder Vic Clapham (war veteran & SA Railways engine driver) whose vision it was to create a living memorial to the spirit of his “comrades” who suffered so greatly in the war. The first race was run on old dust roads, with the runners having to pass through several gates and at least one stream.
Comrades runners in action. This year’s run will descend from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
Comrades runners in action. This year’s run will descend from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
Statistical information
Total Entries
International Male 1192
International Female 370
Rest of Africa Male 472
Rest of Africa Female 130
South Africa Male 16446
South Africa Female 4779
Novice Entries
International Male 550
International Female 182
Rest of Africa Male 180
Rest of Africa Female 50
South Africa Male 3615
South Africa Female 1430
Most common languages
English 11883
Afrikaans 3513
Zulu 2880
Northern Sotho 1069
Xhosa 954
Sotho 816
Tswana 782
Venda 420
Tsonga 364
Other 277
Swati 199
Ndebele 189
Countries Represented
RSA 21207
United Kingdom 290
Brazil 237
USA 207
Zimbabwe 196
Australia 173
India 161
Swaziland 90
Germany 66
Most Common Surnames
12
Dlamini 122
Ndlovu 105
Smith 95
Khumalo 88
Botha 84
Nkosi 80
Mkhize 74
Naidoo 67
Van Der Merwe 66
Ngcobo 65
Sithole 65
Mthembu 64
Smit 61
Pretorius 58
Mokoena 57
Occupations
Other 2811
Manager 2394
Accountant / Auditor 1378
Self-Employed 1288
Information Technology 1175
Oldest Runners
Oldest Male Alf Burgess 79 12-05-1939
Oldest Female Brenda Hughes 69 12-08-1948
Youngest Runners
Youngest Male Kwanele Msane 20 19-01-1998
Youngest female Nicole Bentley 21 26-02-1997
Age Breakdown
20-24 Male 116
20-24 Female 38
25-29 Male 788
25-29 Female 306
30-34 Male 2387
30-34 Female 739
35-39 Male 3448
35-39 Female 1111
40-44 Male 3522
40-44 Female 1021
45-49 Male 2712
45-49 Female 739
50-54 Male 1755
50-54 Female 450
55-59 Male 1038
55-59 Female 214
60-64 Male 518
60-64 Female 76
65-69 Male 154
65-69 Female 15
70-74 Male 39
70-74 Female 0
75-79 Male 9
80-84 Male 0
Provincial Representation
Province Number
Eastern Cape 732
Free State 586
Gauteng 9793
KwaZulu-Natal 4179
Limpopo 681
Mpumalanga 814
North West 484
Northern Cape 120
Western Cape 2012
Going for Green
(Running their 10th Comrades)
Male 9 431
Female 9 88
Going for Double Green (Running their 20th Comrades)
Male 19 88
Female 19 9
Going for Triple Green (Running their 30th Comrades)
Gender Finishes Number
Male 29 21
Female 29 1
Running their 40th Comrades
Going for Quadruple green - Johann Van Eeden