Comrades Marathon 2027
Pietermaritzburg, South Africa
The course
An ultramarathon of approximately 86-90 km on the roads of KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa, run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg with the direction alternating each year between the 'up' run (Durban to Pietermaritzburg) and the 'down' run (Pietermaritzburg to Durban). The course is defined by five major climbs known as the 'Big Five': Cowies Hill, Fields Hill, Botha's Hill, Inchanga, and Polly Shortts, which sits inside the final 10 km on the up run. The highest point lies near the Umlaas Road interchange at about 870 metres (2,850 feet); the course is entirely on asphalt road with a 12-hour cutoff.
Course summary source: en.wikipedia.org
Course map & elevation
No GPS track for this course yet.
We haven't mapped the Comrades Marathon route yet. Elevation data will appear here once a licensed or organizer-verified course map is available.
Training for the Comrades Marathon?
Coach Icarus builds your plan around your fitness, your schedule, and this course's elevation.
Race-week weather
Typical high
22°C
Typical low
14°C
Year-to-year swing
±0.7°C
Rain
0.3 mm/day
Based on 2020-2025 of race-week history, with peak gusts around 22 km/h.
Difficulty
Race facts
- Official race site
- comrades.com ↗
- Start time
- 05:00
- Field size
- 18,207 finishers (2025)
- Boston qualifier
- No
Distances: 89 km
Training for the Comrades Marathon?
Coach Icarus builds your plan around your fitness, your schedule, and this course's elevation.
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