Comrades reveal 2023 route distance and cut-offs

The official route distance of this year’s 96th Comrades Marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban will be 87.701km.

Upon completion of the official route course measurement conducted by the Comrades Marathon Association’s (CMA) Route Portfolio, Department of Transports Road Traffic Inspectorate and Msunduzi Traffic, CMA Race Director, Rowyn James has confirmed that the official race distance of this year’s Comrades Marathon Down Run will be nearly 2,2km shorter than last year’s 89.885km Down Run.

It is worth noting that the last time that the race had finished at the HollywoodBets Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in 2016, the race distance was 89 208km; the same year in which David Gatebe set the current best Down Run time of 5:18:19.

Furthermore, when Frith van der Merwe set the still standing ladies best Down Run time of 5:54:43 in 1989, also at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, the distance was 89,6km. The difference in distances over the years is mainly due to the roadworks and varying routes taken on the run out of Pietermaritzburg.

James has also confirmed the cut-offs for this year’s race. There are 5 cut-off points along the route:

CUT - OFF | RUNNING TIME | TIME OF DAY

Cato Ridge (N3 Subway) | 04:30:00 | 10h00
Drummond (Halfway) | 06:10:00 | 11h40
Winston Park (Caltex Garage) | 08:10:00 | 13h40
Pinetown (St. Johns Avenue Subway) | 9:20:00 | 14h50
Sherwood | 11:00:00 | 16h30

James has advised runners to make their way to the start of the race early saying, “Due to the ongoing N3 roadworks, we ask that all of our athletes make their way to the Pietermaritzburg City Hall early to avoid the traffic congestion and potentially miss the start of the race.”

The 96th Comrades Marathon will be run on Sunday, 11 June 2023, starting at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 05h30 and ending 12 hours later at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban. The distance will be 87,7km. This will be the 48th Comrades Down Run.