By Ntokozo Magongo
MBABANE – It is now easier to book a slot in the Comrades Marathon after the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) made some adjustment in the qualifying times.
Effective immediately, the qualifying time for the standard 42.2km marathon has been adjusted to 5 hours for all participants. This means the qualifying criteria for this year’s Comrades Marathon will be to complete a standard 42.2km marathon in less than 5 hours.
Eswatini runners are lucky because the much celebrated Imbube Marathon is among the marathons recognized as a qualifier by the CMA since last year.
Qualifying for the 2025 Comrades Marathon is applicable as of June 10, 2024 till May 5, 2025 and the Imbube Marathon was held in October 2024.
May 5, 2025 is the final date for submission of qualifying details for this year’s Comrades Marathon. Athletes are required to submit their qualifying race and time, running club details, provincial club license number and fill in the medical questionnaire. To update your details, please log into your entry profile via the Comrades website www.comrades.com
According to a statement released by the CMA, the 2025 edition will be a Down Run on Sunday, June 8, 2025. The race starts at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 5:30am and ends 12 hours later at Durban’s People’s Park, covering an approximately 89km distance.
CMA Chairperson, Mqondisi Ngcobo said this change is aimed at making the Comrades Marathon more inclusive and accessible to a broader range of runners, encouraging more athletes to qualify for and participate in this iconic event.
“We are thrilled to make the Comrades Marathon more accessible to a wider range of runners. This change reflects our commitment to inclusivity and the growth of the sport. We believe that this adjustment will inspire more runners to participate and experience the unique challenge and camaraderie that the Comrades Marathon offers.
The new qualifying time is a fantastic move. It opens up the race to more participants and encourages a greater diversity of runners to take on this incredible challenge,” he said.
There are over 200 annually Eswatini runners who participate in the Comrades Marathon and they include athletes form clubs including Zithande Athletics Club and Golden Foot Athletics Club to mention a few.
