Comrades Marathon
Bruce Fordyce and Zola Budd during the 2012 Comrades Marathon on June 03, 2012 in South Africa. The 2012 Comrades Marathon is starting at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and finishing at the Sahara Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban. Photo by Anesh Debiky / Gallo Images

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Comrades Marathon: Winners and record-holders of the ultimate human race

Few road races have been able to capture the hearts and minds of the public in the way the Comrades marathon has done.

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14-05-24 08:52
Comrades Marathon
Bruce Fordyce and Zola Budd during the 2012 Comrades Marathon on June 03, 2012 in South Africa. The 2012 Comrades Marathon is starting at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and finishing at the Sahara Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in Durban. Photo by Anesh Debiky / Gallo Images

The 94th running of the Comrades Marathon takes place on 9 June 2019 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

The current record-holders for the fastest up-runs in the men’s and women’s race are Russian runners but the race has been dominated by local runners again in recent years.

Comrades Marathon fastest times

Men

Up Run – Leonid Shvetsov 5.24.39 2008
Down Run – David Gatebe 5.18.19 2016

Women

Up Run – Elena Nurgalieva 6.09.24 2006
Down Run – Frith van der Merwe 5.54.43 1989

Comrades Marathon most wins

Men

Bruce Fordyce – 9

Women

Elena Nurgalieva – 8

Comrades Marathon winners

YearDirectionTime (Men)Men’s ChampionCountryTime (Women)Women’s ChampionCountry
2018d5:26:34Bongmusa Mthembu South Africa6:10:04Ann Ashworth South Africa
2017u5:35:34Bongmusa Mthembu South Africa6:27:35Camille Herron United States
2016d5:18:19David Gatebe South Africa6:25:55Charne Bosman South Africa
2015u5:38:36Gift Kelehe South Africa6:12:22Caroline Wostmann South Africa
2014d5:28:34Bongmusa Mthembu South Africa6:18:15Eleanor Greenwood United Kingdom
2013u5:32:09Claude Moshiywa South Africa6:27:09Elena Nurgalieva Russia
2012d5:31:03Ludwick Mamabolo South Africa6:07:12Elena Nurgalieva Russia
2011u5:32:45Stephen Muzhingi Zimbabwe6:24:11Elena Nurgalieva Russia
2010d5:29:01Stephen Muzhingi Zimbabwe6:13:03Elena Nurgalieva Russia
2009d5:23:27Stephen Muzhingi Zimbabwe6:12:08Olesya Nurgalieva Russia
2008u5:24:49Leonid Shvetsov Russia6:14:38Elena Nurgalieva Russia
2007d5:20:49Leonid Shvetsov Russia6:10:11Olesya Nurgalieva Russia
2006u5:35:19Oleg Kharitonov Russia6:09:24Elena Nurgalieva Russia
2005d5:27:10Sipho Ngomane South Africa5:58:50Tatyana Zhirkova Russia
2004u5:31:22Vladimir Kotov Belarus / RSA6:11:15Elena Nurgalieva Russia
2003d5:28:52Fusi Nhlapo South Africa6:07:46Elena Nurgalieva Russia
2002u5:30:59Vladimir Kotov Belarus / RSA6:14:21Maria Bak Germany
2001d5:25:51Andrew Kelehe South Africa6:13:53Elvira Kolpakova Russia
2000u5:25:33Vladimir Kotov Belarus / RSA6:15:35Maria Bak Germany
1999d5:30:10Jaroslaw Janicki Poland6:31:03Birgit Lennartz Germany
1998u5:26:25Dmitri Grishine Russia6:38:57Rae Bisschoff South Africa
1997d5:28:37Charl Mattheus South Africa5:58:24Ann Trason United States
1996u5:29:33Dmitri Grishine Russia6:13:23Ann Trason United States
1995d5:34:02Shaun Meiklejohn South Africa6:22:57Maria Bak Germany
1994u5:38:39Alberto Salazar United States6:41:23Valentina Lyakhova Russia
1993d5:39:41Charly Doll Germany6:55:07Tilda Tearle South Africa
1992u5:46:11Jetman Msutu South Africa6:51:05Frances van Blerk South Africa
1991d5:40:53Nick Bester South Africa6:08:19Frith van der Merwe South Africa
1990u5:40:25Bruce Fordyce South Africa7:02:00Naidene Harrison South Africa
1989d5:35:51Samuel Tshabalala South Africa5:54:43Frith van der Merwe South Africa
1988u5:27:42Bruce Fordyce South Africa6:32:56Frith van der Merwe South Africa
1987u5:37:01Bruce Fordyce South Africa6:48:42Helen Lucre South Africa
1986d5:24:07Bruce Fordyce South Africa6:55:01Helen Lucre South Africa
1985u5:37:01Bruce Fordyce South Africa6:53:24Helen Lucre South Africa
1984d5:27:18Bruce Fordyce South Africa6:46:35Lindsay Weight South Africa
1983u5:30:12Bruce Fordyce South Africa7:12:56Lindsay Weight South Africa
1982d5:34:22Bruce Fordyce South Africa7:04:59Cheryl Winn South Africa
1981u5:37:28Bruce Fordyce South Africa6:44:35Isavel Roche-Kelly South Africa
1980d5:38:25Alan Robb South Africa7:18:Isavel Roche-Kelly South Africa
1979u5:45:02Piet Vorster South Africa8:22:41Jan Mallen South Africa
1978d5:29:14Alan Robb South Africa8:25:Lettie van Zyl South Africa
1977u5:47:00Alan Robb South Africa8:58:Lettie van Zyl South Africa
1976d5:40:53Alan Robb South Africa9:05:Lettie van Zyl South Africa
1975u5:53:00Derek Preiss South Africa10:08:Elizabeth Cavanagh South Africa
1974u6:02:49Derek Preiss South Africa
1973d5:39:09Dave Levick South Africa
1972u5:48:57Mick Orton United Kingdom
1971d5:47:06Dave Bagshaw South Africa
1970u5:51:27Dave Bagshaw South Africa
1969d5:45:35Dave Bagshaw South Africa
1968u6:01:11Jack Mekler South Africa
1967d5:54:10Manie Kuhn South Africa
1966u6:14:07Tommy Malone South Africa
1965d5:51:09Bernard Gomersall United Kingdom
1964u6:09:54Jack Mekler South Africa
1963d5:51:20Jack Mekler South Africa
1962u5:57:05John Smith United Kingdom
1961d6:07:07George Claassen South Africa
1960u5:56:32Jack Mekler South Africa
1959d6:28:11Trevor Allen South Africa
1958u6:26:26Jack Mekler South Africa
1957d6:13:55Mercer Davies South Africa
1956u6:33:35Gerald Walsh South Africa
1955d6:06:32Gerald Walsh South Africa
1954u6:12:55Wally Hayward South Africa
1953d5:52:30Wally Hayward South Africa
1952u7:00:02Trevor Allen South Africa
1951d6:14:08Wally Hayward South Africa
1950u6:46:25Wally Hayward South Africa
1949d6:23:21Reg Allison South Africa
1948u7:13:52William Savage
1947d6:41:05Hardy Ballington South Africa
1946u7:02:40Bill Cochrane
1941-45Race not held due to World War II
1940u6:39:23Allen Boyce South Africa
1939d6:22:05Johnny Coleman
1938u6:32:26Hardy Ballington South Africa
1937d6:23:11Johnny Coleman South Africa
1936u6:46:14Hardy Ballington South Africa
1935d6:30:05Bill Cochrane South Africa
1934u7:09:03Hardy Ballington South Africa
1933d6:50:37Hardy Ballington South Africa
1932u7:41:58William Savage South Africa
1931d7:16:30Phil Masterton-Smith South Africa
1930u7:27:26Wally Hayward South Africa
1929d7:52:00Darrell Dale South Africa
1928u7:49:07Frank Sutton South Africa
1927d6:40:56Arthur Newton South Africa
1926u6:57:46Harry Phillips South Africa
1925d6:24:45Arthur Newton South Africa
1924u6:58:22Arthur Newton South Africa
1923d6:56:00Arthur Newton South Africa
1922u8:40:00Arthur Newton South Africa
1921d8:59:00Bill Rowan South Africa
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