How much money Comrades winners received

The 98th Comrades Marathon drew nearly 21,000 participants and record crowds, with millions in prize money at stake and major local companies eager to be part of the action.

On Sunday, 8 June, the 98th edition of the Comrades Marathon was held by the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA).

The race took place on the hilly roads from Pietermaritzburg City Hall to Durban, with an official distance of 89.98 km.

With only two years to go until the 100th Comrades Marathon, scheduled for 2027, the event saw record turnouts.

Tens of thousands of spectators and volunteers lined the roads as 20,972 runners took to the streets for the “Down Run”.

There were 18,194 official finishers, 86.75% of the starters. South Africans Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn emerged triumphant, winning gold medals for the men’s and women’s categories.

Dijana, the winner in 2022 and 2023, crossed the line in 5:25:28, just ahead of 2024 winner Piet Wiersma. Steyn finished in 5:51:19 and emerged as a fourth-time winner of the race.

The CMA treated this year’s event as a practice for the approaching 100th edition, which is expected to rake in a record number of participants.

As such, they introduced the first-ever split start in the history of the Comrades Marathon to improve safety and minimise congestion.

Planning an event of this scale requires immense funding and planning that extends beyond the race itself. For example, the event involved a three-day registration process.

CMA General Manager Alain Dalais commented that the CMA was proud to announce that there were no long queues for registration.

“The registration process was seamless, with all runners receiving their goodie bags, Mr Price Sport Race T-shirt and Toyota cap,” he said.

“On race day, all 47 refreshment stations were well stocked and supplied the runners with the hydration and nutrition they needed, and at the finish, all runners received their medals and finisher badges.”

He added that incidents of crime in and around the Finish venue were also drastically reduced from previous years as a result of an increased security presence in the Finish Precinct.

Who pays for the Comrades?

The ultra-marathon is funded through a variety of different income streams. For example, the runners all have to pay an entrance fee:

• R1,200 for South African citizens
• R2,000 for other African entrants
• R4,500 for International competitors

On the Kaya Biz podcast, Dalais explained that the association took a financial hit during the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, not long after lockdowns ended, interest in the event began to grow again. Now, both the event itself and the Comrades Marathon Association have returned to their pre-COVID financial stability.

Dalais said that the event has always attracted runners, especially because many runners view it as a bucket list item.

With the major milestone of the 100th Comrades approaching, it is drawing even more interest. Even retired Comrades-participants and runners who don’t typically take part in ultra-marathons have indicated that they want to sign up.

“Everyone wants to participate in the 100th running in 2 years’ time. And with that, it’s already created lots of excitement amongst our various sponsors, partners, and stakeholders because everyone wants to be part of that and beyond.”

Sponsors are a crucial part of what makes the Comrades possible. According to Dalais, the CMA’s sponsorship model uses a tiered structure.

Tier 1 sponsors – Mr Price Sport, Thirsti and Cell C – contribute at the highest level. There are also Tier 2, Tier 3 and Tier 4 sponsors based on a mix of cash contributions and value-in-kind support.

For example, Toyota, the event’s vehicle sponsor, provides both vehicles for the event and throughout the year for planning, in addition to a cash contribution.

Importantly, Dalais said they ensure no competing brands exist within the same sector. This exclusivity increases each sponsor’s return on investment and avoids direct competition.

There’s also a broadcast element built into the packages, offering extensive exposure through the 13-hour live broadcast.

“The return on investment (ROI) is massive for our sponsors, and I think that also assists greatly with the sustainability of our event because we’re able to offer our sponsors that return on investment.”

The CMA uses several monitoring platforms to measure ROI, including Nielsen Sports, which tracks metrics for the Comrades Marathon. After the race, they present this data during post-event debriefs with each sponsor.

This includes AVEs (Advertising Value Equivalents) and other performance indicators from social media and traditional platforms. Social media now plays a massive role in measuring impact.

How much are the prizes?

Prize money is another major cost sponsors help cover. This year, R7.6 million was allocated towards the prize pool.

According to Dalais, this year’s prize money was increased by 10% across all categories to ensure that runners benefit directly from the increased sponsorship income.

The 10 best men and women all receive prize money, ranging from R36,000 for 10th place to R874,000 for first place.

Additionally, there were smaller prize categories for the best male and female runners in different age categories, as well as prizes for the first three KwaZulu-Natal Athletes.

Team prizes ranging from R 13,200 to R 40,700 were also up for grabs. Both Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn won R220,000 for being the first South Africans over the line.

Additionally, Cell C offered a R50,000 incentive for the fastest time through the Cell C hotspot in Kloof. With all of this together, this year, the two overall winners each walked away with R1.14 million.

In second place, Piet Wismans for the men and Alexandra Morozova for the women each took home R438,000. In third place, Nicolai Volkov and Sheila Morikaki each received R315,000.