The 97th Comrades Marathon, one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year in South Africa, kicked off this morning, starting at the Durban City Hall at 05h30 and will end 12 hours later at the HollywoodBets Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg, covering a distance of 85.91km.
This year’s campaign slogan, ‘No Doubt – Nakanjani’, is a tribute to the Comrades athlete’s firm belief in the power, stature and attraction of the world’s biggest, oldest, and most loved ultra marathon.
But what will the winners of the prestigious race get?
Well, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) announced a record-breaking rise in prize money for this year's Ultimate Human Race.
This year’s total prize money has been upped by an astounding R1.364,000 to a total of R4.092,000.
This includes the R50,000 Hot Spot award offered to the first man and woman through the Cell C Hot Spot located in Cato Ridge, as well as numerous additional cash prizes.
“We are so excited to announce this significant increase in the prize money on offer at this year’s race. Elite athlete participants have long called for an increase in the prize money available, given the considerable amount of time and effort that it takes to prepare for this event.
“We are thrilled that Cell C has come on board to assist the CMA in providing this recognition and reward to the race’s top contenders. I am confident that this prize money will stimulate increased competition and faster finishing times than ever before,” said CMA Chairperson, Mqondisi Ngcobo.
| 1 | R825,000 |
| 2 | R412,500 |
| 3 | R297,000 |
| 4 | R148,500 |
| 5 | R115,500 |
“This sets a new standard for South African road running and is expected to encourage greater levels of national and international competition at the event and stimulate improved performances across the board,” said the CMA.
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