’The Return’ of the legendary road race... and entries to the Comrades now open

Durban - Entries for this year’s Comrades Marathon opened on Wednesday, March 23, with runners, both South African and international, looking forward to the return to the legendary marathon route after two years of virtual events.

The 2022 Comrades Marathon “The Return” will take place on Sunday, August 28, starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 5.30am and ending at the iconic Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Covering a distance of 90.2km, this will be the 47th Down Run in Comrades history.

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) said this week that the first entry window period, March 23 to March 31, will be open only to those who successfully entered the 2020 Comrades Marathon but who could not run as the race was cancelled due to the lockdown.

Entry fees for South African athletes will also be discounted from R1 200 to R1 000 during the first entry window period as per the CMA’s commitment when the 2020 race was cancelled. International entrants who had their entries deferred to 2022 or 2023 will not have to pay an entry fee.

All other athletes will be allowed to enter the race during the second entry window period, from April 20 to May 16, and entry fees for those who did not enter the 2020 Comrades Marathon are as follows:

South Africa - R1 200

Other African countries: R2 000

International: R4 500

Race director Rowyn James said: “We have exciting plans in place for this year’s Down Run which will finish at the internationally acclaimed Moses Mabhida Stadium for the second time.”

Qualifying for the 2022 Comrades Marathon is applicable from September 1, 2021 to July 12, 2022 and the qualifying criteria remain unchanged, requiring completion of a standard 42.2km marathon in under 4 hours and 50 minutes or a 56km ultra-marathon in under 6 hours and 45 minutes.

Following the relaxation of Covid regulations by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Tuesday, the CMA has announced that all participants will not be required to wear masks when outdoors, as well as adjusted social distancing directives, while vaccinated and unvaccinated athletes can participate in this year’s race.

Unvaccinated runners will be allowed to run provided that they provide proof of a negative Covid test within 72 hours of Comrades race day and at their own cost.

CMA chairperson Mqondisi Ngcobo said on Wednesday that the same rules would apply to all runners and advised that the CMA would continue to comply with all government regulations, applicable at all times, in order to safeguard the health and safety of runners, supporters, officials and the public at large.

Should government regulations or Athletics South Africa guidelines change prior to race day, the CMA would likewise apply the regulations applicable at that time, said Ngcobo.

International athletes will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative PCR test not older than 72 hours when entering the country, while all unvaccinated visitors to South Africa will be offered a vaccination on arrival should they so wish.

While runners from 102 countries entered the virtual 2020 Comrades Marathon during the hard lockdown of the Covid pandemic, 2021 saw over 13 000 runners in the Comrades Marathon Centenary Hope Challenge.

The marathon was run for the first time on May 24, 1921 and with the exceptions of a break during World War II and the Covid-19 pandemic, it has been run every year.

Independent on Saturday