MBABANE – The official distance for the 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon has been confirmed at 85.777km.
For Eswatini’s contingent of endurance athletes, the 2026 ‘Up Run’ from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on Sunday, June 14, will represent the shortest route in recent history.
The measurement makes this year’s race 133 metres shorter than the 2024 Up Run, which clocked in at 85.910km. To put the trend into perspective, the 2024 event was already 820 metres shorter than the 2019 route.
While historical records prior to 1969 relied on estimated mileage, which was typically listed as approximately 86.886km, the 2026 distance is arguably the shortest ever recorded for the Up Run. However, the lack of precise historical surveying means official confirmation of an all-time record remains elusive.
The route was verified over the weekend of April 25–26 by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Route Portfolio, working alongside the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Transport and local law enforcement.
Among the Eswatini teams preparing for the prestigious ultramarathon is Zithande Athletics Club. Coach Nsizwa Thwala noted that the reduced distance is a ‘game-changer’ for those at the front of the pack.
"For elite runners, this means Personal Best times (PBs)," Thwala remarked. However, he remained pragmatic about the challenge facing the broader field. "For the rest of the athletes, the reduced distance won't have much of an effect. It is still a gruelling pace of eight minutes and 18 seconds per kilometre to beat the 12-hour cut-off."
The official distance for the 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon has been confirmed at 85.777km.