Comrades Marathon cuts ties with ASA ahead of historic 100th race
· The South African
The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has voted to sever ties with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) and, by extension, Athletics South Africa (ASA), marking a dramatic shift ahead of the iconic ultramarathon’s 100th running in 2027.
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The decision was taken at a special general meeting held at Comrades House in Pietermaritzburg on Saturday, where members overwhelmingly backed the association’s independence.
A total of 873 members voted in favour of independence, with 229 voting against, while a second motion on whether to re-affiliate with KZNA saw 694 members vote against rejoining and 338 vote in favour.
The CMA said it would issue a formal statement on Sunday.
Long-running dispute reaches breaking point
The vote formalises a dispute that has been brewing for more than a year.
The CMA had previously sought to leave KZNA while remaining directly affiliated with ASA.
However, the national federation rejected that proposal, insisting that the Comrades Marathon must remain under its provincial affiliate.
Members rejected that position, opting instead to operate independently.
Broadcast revenue at stake
The split has significant financial implications for Athletics South Africa.
According to ASA’s latest audited financial statements, broadcast rights generated R12.68 million in 2024, accounting for nearly 40% of the federation’s R31.9 million annual revenue.
Those rights are sold as a package featuring the Comrades Marathon alongside the Two Oceans Marathon, Cape Town Marathon and the national track and field championships.
The Comrades Marathon is widely regarded as the flagship event within that bundle.
Earlier this year, ASA sold the broadcasting rights to the SABC without consulting the CMA, prompting the organisers to produce their own live stream on YouTube.
KwaZulu-Natal Athletics also faces a major financial blow.
A senior official reportedly estimated the provincial body could lose around R3 million a year, nearly 45% of its annual revenue, while a separate dispute over approximately R4 million in levies remains unresolved.
More than just a financial battle
At the heart of the disagreement is control over South Africa’s major road-running events.
Members opposed a leaked ASA memorandum that proposed bringing the country’s biggest road races under greater national oversight through a private company responsible for commercial activities such as sponsorships and broadcasting rights.
The governance dispute has unfolded while both ASA and KZNA are without their elected presidents, who remain on precautionary suspension pending separate processes.
Historic race set to go ahead
Despite the split, preparations for the landmark 100th Comrades Marathon, scheduled for Sunday, 13 June 2027, are continuing.
The race, first staged in 1921 and recognised as the world’s oldest and largest ultramarathon, is expected to proceed as planned between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
The CMA maintains that the necessary municipal permits are largely in place, while ASA continues to argue that official sanctioning of events should occur through the national federation and its provincial structures.
With one of South Africa’s most iconic sporting events now charting an independent path, the relationship between the Comrades Marathon and the country’s athletics authorities appears set for a new and uncertain chapter.
This year’s men’s race was won by George Kusche, while Gerda Steyn won the women’s race for the fifth time.
Both Kusche and Steyn set new ‘Up’ run records in winning this year’s race.