The 99th running of the Comrades Marathon takes place on Sunday, 14 June 2026, as runners tackle the famous “up run” from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. After the fast and brutal downhill journey of 2025, the pendulum swings back to one of the toughest tests in ultra-distance road running.
World Sports Betting are once again the official sports betting partner of the Comrades Marathon.
As always, the race will be about far more than winning. Thousands of runners will chase personal goals, medals and lifelong dreams across the roads of KwaZulu-Natal, while the elite fields look set to produce another fascinating battle in both the men’s and women’s races.
The Route
The Comrades alternates annually between the “down run” and “up run”. In 2026, competitors will leave Durban and finish approximately 85.7 kilometres inland to Pietermaritzburg. The route gains more than 1,800 metres of elevation and is widely regarded as the tougher of the two directions, although some runners prefer the “up” run as it is less harsh on the joints.
The notorious “Big Five” hills once again lie in wait:
- Cowies Hill
- Fields Hill
- Botha’s Hill
- Inchanga
- Polly Shortts
While the early climbs can punish over-enthusiastic pacing, many runners regard Polly Shortts, inside the final 10 kilometres, as the decisive point of the race and those of us who grew up watching this race in the 80’s and 90’s will remember classic battles between 9 time winner Bruce Fordyce and Bob de la Motte and Hoseah Tjale where Fordyce used Polly Shortts to break his opponents hearts.
Recent History
The last few years have produced some of the strongest performances ever seen in Comrades history.
In 2023, the down-run course records were shattered as Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn produced remarkable victories. The following year saw another historic performance when Piet Wiersma won the 2024 up run in 5:25:00, one of the fastest up-run times ever recorded and Gerda Steyn broke the women’s record.
The 2025 edition returned to the down run and delivered another thrilling finish. Dijana claimed his third Comrades title, edging Piet Wiersma by only five seconds after almost five and a half hours of racing. Gerda Steyn meanwhile secured another dominant victory and continued to strengthen her status as one of the greatest female ultramarathon runners in South African history.
Men’s Race Outlook and Current Betting Odds
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Tete Dijana (3.50)
Dijana’s victory in 2025 gave him a third Comrades title and confirmed that his disappointing 2024 result (14th) was merely a temporary setback. Few runners combine climbing ability, race intelligence and finishing speed as effectively as Dijana but the big question is whether he can add an up-run title to his growing legacy and position himself alongside some of the race’s modern greats.
Piet Wiersma (3.00)
The Dutchman has quickly become one of the biggest stars in the event.
After winning the 2024 up run in a stunning 5:25:00 and then pushing Dijana all the way in 2025, Wiersma looks perfectly suited to the demands of the uphill route. Bookmakers view him as the slight favourite at this point.
South African Contenders
Runners such as Edward Mothibi (26.00) and Joseph Manyedi (41.00) continue to provide tremendous depth in the South African field. Both featured prominently in 2025 and have the experience to capitalise should the leading favourites falter.
International Challenge
Russia, the Netherlands and several East African nations have increasingly influenced the Comrades elite race over the past two decades. International runners continue to target the event and the growing global profile of ultrarunning suggests another strong overseas contingent can be expected in 2026 and 2 likely contenders include Nikolai Volkov (3rd in 2025) who finished 3rd last year and Alex Milne from the UK who was 6th last year, they are priced at 21.00 and 46.00 respectively.
Women’s Race Outlook and Current Betting Odds
Gerda Steyn (1.30)
Every preview starts with Gerda Steyn.
Her dominance over the last several years has been extraordinary. She owns the up-run record, has multiple Comrades victories and continues to perform at an exceptionally high level. Her 2025 triumph was her fourth overall Comrades title and third consecutive victory.
The up run may actually suit her strengths even more than the down run. Unless injury or illness intervenes, she will start as a clear favourite and should win.
Alexandra Morozova (14.00)
Morozova again demonstrated her quality with another podium finish in 2025. She remains one of the most accomplished international ultramarathon athletes and is capable of challenging if the pace becomes tactical.
The Chasing Pack
Shelmith Muriuki (26.00), Irvette van Zyl (39.00), Dominika Stelmach (56.00) and Carla Molinaro(26.00) all featured prominently in 2025 and could once again contest gold-medal positions.
However, on current evidence, the rest of the field still appears to be chasing Steyn rather than racing alongside her.
Selections
We will post another preview closer to race day with betting selections, once we have more confidence in who will be lining up and their well-being.
All odds correct at the time of writing but subject to change
