Prize Boost for 2025 Comrades Marathon: CMA Raises Stakes by 10% for Iconic Down Run

CMA acting race and operations manager Alain Dalais announced a total prize purse of over R7.6 million.

This means the winners in the men's and women's races will walk away with R874 000 plus R550 000 if they break the best time previously recorded for the down run.

"We are currently in a very good financial situation, so we can then pass that benefit onto our runners and athletes by means of increasing prize money by 10% all across the board for all prize money categories," said Dalaise.

The 98th edition will begin at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and run approximately 89 kilometers to Durban. There, runners will conclude the course outside the Moses Mabhida Stadium, with the finish line situated at the People's Park.

Dalais also confirmed, in conjunction with the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Sport, Art, and Culture that the first, second, and third KZN men and women will receive incentives.

There will also be prize money for the first South African Man and Woman.

In the 2023 edition of the down-run, Nedbank Running Club's Tete Dijana claimed victory in the men's race in a time of 5:13:58, setting a new course record, after breaking David Gatebe's 2016 Best Time of 5:18:19.

Dutchman Piet Wiersma, 2024 Up-run champion, finished second in last year's race to Durban, just three seconds behind Dijana while 2019 champion Edward Mothiba finished third.

In the women's race, current three-time champion Gerda Steyn clocked the race in a time of 5:44:54 to claim triumph and break Frith van der Merwe's 34-year-old best time of 5:54:43 by more than 9 minutes.

Adele Broodryk ran in a time of 05:56:26, following Steyn as the runner-up with Carla Molinaro finishing third, wrapping up an all-South African top three.

Next year's race will be capped at 23,000.

Entries are currently open for Green Number club athletes and close on 9 December 2024.

Non-green number entries open on 13 November 2024.