Up run or down run? The 2024 Comrades Marathon direction has been confirmed

Durban — The direction of the 2024 Comrades Marathon has been confirmed.

That was according to the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA), which said that next year’s Comrades Marathon will be an up run. The CMA board confirmed that the 97th edition of the Comrades Marathon will start in Durban at 5.30am and will 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 this 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.

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: “We are currently looking at suitable finish venues and will confirm further details at our official race launch later this year.”

Meanwhile, looking back at the 2023 edition of the Comrades Marathon, there were 16 072 Comrades Marathon runners on the start line on Sunday, June 11, 2023, and 14 896 finishers.

The 96th Comrades Marathon had a 92.68% finish rate, which is recorded as the highest finishing rate in the race’s 102-year history.

Additionally, fundraising for the official Comrades Marathon charities increased by nearly a million rand more in #Comrades2023 compared to last year, with a total of R4 945 096 raised.

Funds raised: