The 90th edition of the race takes place from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on Sunday with
19 069 runners eligible to take part after 22 370 entries received – the second biggest behind the 2000 millennium edition of the world famous ultra marathon.
“It’s a special year and we’re expecting it to be a fantastic race,” race director Rowyn James said.
“The race has grown impressively over the years and we expect it to grow even further in the years ahead.”
From the entrant numbers, the race also includes just over 2000 international athletes, more than double the 700 odd foreigners that participated eight years ago.
“The brand has really grown dramatically and the numbers shows the interest in Comrades from abroad,” James said.
The annual race, which alternates in direction each year between the two main cities in KwaZulu-Natal, is expected to boost the provincial economy by R510-million in 2015.
