In the quiet, electric pre-dawn of Sunday, June 8, 2025, Pietermaritzburg will thrum with anticipation like never before. As 22,000 runners lace up and step into history, they will do so not from one sacred starting line—but two.
For the first time in its 98-year saga, the Comrades Marathon, the world’s most revered ultra-distance road race, will launch its runners in a dual-start format. This seismic shift in Comrades tradition is more than logistical—it’s symbolic, evocative, and deeply rooted in one of the race’s most legendary moments.
Comrades 2025 - A new era begins with two heartbeats at the start
The two start pens, unconfirmed but could reputedly be named after Manie Kuhn and Tommie Malone, will nod to the iconic 1967 duel, where the two men raced shoulder-to-shoulder for nearly 90 unforgiving kilometres. Malone edged Kuhn by just one breathless second, the closest finish in Comrades history. Now, their names may once again mark a split—but not in competition, in commemoration.
It’s will be a beautiful tribute. It’s as if the race is saying: ‘We remember. And we evolve.’ This is a proper dress rehearsal for the centenary in 2027.
Two Starts, One Soul
This year’s "Down Run" to Durban will begin in stereo: the first wave at 5:45am, the second at 6:00am. But as CMA General Manager Alain Dalais is quick to clarify:
There will only be one set of cut-off times that come into effect after the second start. The good news for the runners at the back of the field is that the staggered start will save them up to five minutes.
That five-minute grace might not seem like much, but to those battling the edge of a 12-hour cut-off, it could mean the difference between a medal and heartbreak.
We had to innovate. With the record field this year, we needed to reduce congestion at the start and on the early parts of the route. Splitting the field into two batches allows for smoother flow and a better running experience for everyone.
The change marks more than a procedural tweak—it’s a tectonic shift in the way Comrades breathes. For decades, the race has surged like a single tidal wave. Now, it will move in rhythm, in two heartbeats echoing one legacy.
The Long Road Home—With a New Ending
And after nearly 90 bone-rattling kilometres—specifically, 89.98km this year—runners won’t be met by the grass of Kingsmead or the dome of Moses Mabhida, but by a new and open embrace: the finish line on Masabalala Yengwa Avenue, outside Durban’s People’s Park. Already dubbed “The Victory Strip,” this fresh finale transforms the end of the Comrades from a closed bowl into a street celebration.
Finishing in the street near Moses Mabhida allows us greater flexibility and the chance to create a unique vibe for spectators and runners. It’s a logistical necessity—but also an opportunity to try something fresh as we build toward the centenary.
It will be a finish line of flaring lights, security-tightened safety, and cheering walls of humanity. No grandstands, no enclosure—just raw air, roaring lungs, and the scent of salt, sweat, and dreams come true. Like a marathoner leaning toward reinvention, Comrades is stretching itself into a bold new era.
Rewriting the Rules of the Road
This year also brings with it reimagined cut-off times. While the 12-hour overall limit still rules, intermediate checkpoints have been adjusted to offer more generous early margins. The first cut-off, at Cato Ridge (30.5km), allows over 10:00/km pace, while halfway in Drummond permits nearly 9:00/km.
The cut-offs are designed around the dismantling of race operations, cleaning up the route and the re-opening of roads. But generous times have been given at each point. Safety is paramount, and runners who have not passed through a cut-off in time will be unable to continue.
These changes encourage a more intelligent race plan. For the first time, runners can realistically adopt a negative splits strategy—running the second half faster than the first. It’s an endurance metaphor come to life: start steady, finish strong.
Running Toward the Future
Comrades is no stranger to reinvention. From wartime pauses to apartheid-era politics to the COVID-19 cancellation, it has outlasted and adapted through it all. But 2025 marks a shift in spirit as much as in structure.
This is very exciting. The evolution of Comrades is happening before our eyes. It’s adapting without losing its soul.
Indeed, Comrades has always been more than a race. It’s a 90km love letter to perseverance, a symphony of footfalls and grit echoing across the hills of KwaZulu-Natal. And in 2025, as two streams of humanity—Kuhn and Malone—merge into one surging current toward the Indian Ocean, we are reminded that Comrades is not just run in kilometers, but in courage.
This year, the heart of the race beats in stereo. But the finish, as ever, is singular: the triumph of the human spirit.
