South Africa's great festival of endurance returns on Sunday 14 June with the 99th running of the Comrades Marathon, and this year the race takes on its uphill character as runners climb from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in the so-called Up Run. A field of 21,633 registered entrants has been accepted for a route measured at 85.777 kilometres, the shortest Up Run in recent memory, and with a record prize purse on offer the conditions are set for one of the more competitive editions in years.
No story dominates the build-up quite like that of Gerda Steyn, who lines up as the overwhelming favourite to retain her crown. Steyn has not been beaten at Comrades since her breakthrough victory in 2019, an extraordinary record of dominance over a distance that punishes the slightest miscalculation, and a win on Sunday would make her a five-time champion. Her challengers are far from negligible: Kenya's Shelmith Muriuki, the 2022 champion Alexandra Morozova and South Africa's own Irvette van Zyl all possess the raw speed to threaten, though matching Steyn's consistency across the full sweep of the up route remains a formidable ask.
The men's race looks more open. Piet Wiersma, who won the 2024 Up Run in a stunning 5:25:00 and then pushed Tete Dijana all the way in 2025, is suited almost perfectly to the demands of an uphill course and is rated the slight favourite by the bookmakers. Behind him the South African contingent provides tremendous depth, with experienced campaigners such as Edward Mothibi and Joseph Manyedi well placed to capitalise should the leading names falter in the closing climbs towards the finish.
Organisers have introduced several changes for 2026 designed to manage a swelling field safely, including a revised start time, a three-group staggered start and an enhanced cut-off system spread across the route. Race medical staff have once again urged entrants to respect the distance, to hydrate sensibly rather than excessively and to heed warning signs on a course where the combination of relentless ascents and unpredictable Natal weather has caught out even seasoned ultramarathoners.
What gives Comrades its enduring grip is the way it blends elite drama with mass participation on the same tarmac, the leaders and the back-of-the-pack runners chasing the same medals against the same merciless cut-offs. As the 99th edition counts down to its centenary, the Up Run promises the familiar spectacle of the great hills of KwaZulu-Natal deciding who has judged the effort best, and whether Steyn can extend a reign that already stands among the finest in South African athletics.