This year’s Comrades Marathon down run, scheduled for Sunday, June 11, will have a different finish as it returns to the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium after a seven-year break.
AFTER a seven-year break, runners in this year’s Comrades Marathon will cross the finish line at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium. This is due to the Comrades race returning to its traditional date of the second Sunday in June from the previously held August date.
The traditional June date had already been allocated by Moses Mabhida Stadium to the hosting of the 2023 Cosafa Cup at the landmark venue, thereby necessitating the move.
This year’s down run takes place on Sunday, June 11.
In 2018 and 2022, runners ended the race at Moses Mabhida Stadium.
“𝗝𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗯𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗱𝗶𝘂𝗺 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘀𝗵 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲”
𝑴𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂 𝑹𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆: #𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒓𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒔2023 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒏𝒆𝒘 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝑽𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒆 pic.twitter.com/c3VFjqF6n9
— ComradesRace (@ComradesRace) March 15, 2023
“Kingsmead Stadium is our preferred finish venue for this year’s down run, as the venue is accustomed to hosting the Comrades Marathon and the revised route should be an easy transition for the runners,” said CMA race director Rowyn James.
“We would like to thank the team at MMS for partnering with CMA during the 2018 and 2022 races and we look forward to hosting our athletes on Sunday, June 11,” James added.
Stadia and Facilities Unit head Vusi Mazibuko said they valued the association with the Comrades Marathon as their finish venue of choice during the 2018 and 2022 Comrades down runs.
“This race is not just a proudly KZN event, but one of international significance, and it continues to attract the world’s best ultra-runners to our shores and maintain Durban’s status as South Africa’s sporting playground,” Mazibuko said.
The 96th Comrades Marathon will start at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 5.30am and finish 12 hours later at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Stadium.
This will be the 48th down run.
