99th Comrades Marathon and ‘long weekend’ boost for Durban

Thousands of runners, spectators and tourists are expected to give Durban and KwaZulu-Natal a multi-million rand boost this ‘long’ weekend, with the 99th edition of the world-renowned Comrades Marathon taking place on Sunday.

The eThekwini Municipality says the ultramarathon is set to see more than 21 600 runners taking part from South Africa and around the world, with an expected 65 000 spectators along the more than 85km route between Durban and Pietermaritzburg for this years ‘up run’.

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This is in addition to hundreds of support staff, media, police, race marshals and volunteers. Local businesses in the hospitality, accommodation, transport, and retail sectors are expected to benefit from a bonanza weekend.

Many runners and their family were already in town as early as Friday, and are anticipated to stay on until Tuesday with the Youth Day public holiday turning it into a long weekend. This has also seen an influx of domestic tourists to the coast for the balmy weather.

According to the eThekwini Municipality, the event remains a significant economic driver for the city, with visitor spending expected to support a range of tourism-related businesses during the marathon long weekend.

“The Comrades Marathon continues to be a significant economic driver for eThekwini, attracting thousands of visitors whose spending contributes substantially to the local economy through accommodation, transport, hospitality, retail, and tourism-related activities.”

The municipality added that authorities have activated a multi-department operational plan to manage the influx of visitors and ensure services remain operational throughout the event, with it creating about 1 300 temporary jobs.

“To ensure the city is fully prepared for the event, a comprehensive operational plan has been activated as part of eThekwini Municipality’s readiness programme.”

Waste management teams will be deployed along the route from the Durban City Hall to Cato Ridge to collect refuse and recyclable materials, while additional waste receptacles will be positioned in high-traffic spectator areas.

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Safety and traffic management measures will also be implemented, with Durban Metro Police officers stationed at strategic points along the route and major gathering areas.

“The safety and security of participants and spectators remains a priority,” says the municipality.

Several major roads, including sections of the M13, R103 and Josiah Gumede Road, will be closed on race day and reopened after the last runner passes. The municipality will also host a fan park at Kings Park Athletics Stadium, where spectators can watch live race coverage throughout the day.

Meanwhile, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) confirmed this week that the combined prize purse for this year’s event is just over R8.2 million in prize money and incentive bonuses.

“The 2026 Comrades Marathon is set to reward the top performing runners well for their race-day efforts,” it says.

This includes R925 000 in prize money (each) for the first man and women over the finishing line, while runners-up will receive R464 000 and third-place finishers R334 000.

“The prize monies for the top 10 men and women include a Cell C ‘top-up’ that boosts their winnings by just over 30%, and the first 10 men and women will also be awarded solid gold medals,” says the CMA.