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As preparations begin for the historic 100th edition of the Comrades Marathon in 2027, statistics released by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) have confirmed the success of this year’s race — with improved participation, finishing rates, medical outcomes and global engagement.

The 2026 Up Run, held on June 14 over a record-short route of 85,777km from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, produced a host of encouraging figures when compared to the 2025 edition.

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The race attracted 22 676 entrants, of whom 21 683 successfully qualified to start, representing a qualification rate of 95,62% — the highest percentage of qualifiers since 2010 and an improvement on the 93,96% recorded in 2025.

The positive trend continued during registration, with 21 292 runners collecting race packs.

This represented 98,19% of the qualified field and one of the lowest drop-off rates in recent years.

On race day, 20 349 runners lined up in Durban, equating to 93,84% of qualified entrants — the highest percentage of starters since 2006.

Women continued to make their mark on The Ultimate Human Race, accounting for 4 398 starters or 21,61% of the field — up from 20,27% in 2025.

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The favourable conditions of the Up Run and the shorter route contributed to a strong finishing rate.

A total of 18 276 runners crossed the finish line before the 12-hour cut-off, resulting in an impressive 89,81% finish rate, compared to 86,88% last year.

The first starting group recorded the best success rate, with 98,04% of runners earning medals.

Group Two achieved an 89,98% finishing rate, while 72,82% of runners from Group Three completed the race.

Novice runners also enjoyed a successful day. Of the 4 683 first-time participants, 4 105 finished, giving a completion rate of 87,65% — an improvement on the 85,69% recorded in 2025.

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The race also celebrated endurance milestones, with 525 runners earning Green Numbers for their 10th, 20th, 30th or 40th finishes.

Of these, 438 runners joined the prestigious Green Number Club by completing their 10th Comrades Marathon. Medical statistics were equally encouraging.

Chief race doctor Jeremy Boulter described it as “a quiet day for us in the Medical Tent”.

Only 393 runners required medical attention, representing just 1,8% of the field.

This was significantly lower than the 550 to 600 patients expected by medical teams and down from the 440 treated in 2025.

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A total of 94 runners were transported to hospital, less than half the 200 recorded last year. Of those admitted, only 23 required hospitalisation.

By the Wednesday following the race, six patients remained in hospital, all of whom were reported to be recovering well.

Beyond the road, the Comrades Marathon enjoyed unprecedented digital success.

For the first time in the event’s history, the race was broadcast globally through a livestream available on multiple digital platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and X.

The result was a massive audience of 742 200 livestream viewers who collectively consumed 398 155 hours of content from 122 countries.

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Women’s champion Gerda Steyn once again emerged as the most-followed athlete on the official app, with 47 487 users tracking her progress throughout the race.

Race director Sue Forge said the CMA was delighted with the positive outcomes across multiple areas.

“We are pleased by the growth reflected across a number of key areas, including increased participation by women, novice runners and Green Number holders,” she said.

While celebrating the success of the 2026 race, Forge emphasised that the CMA remains committed to improving the runner and spectator experience as planning gathers pace for the historic 100th Comrades Marathon on June 13, 2027.