The 96th running of the Comrades Marathon takes place on Sunday, 11 June 2023 between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
A shorter up run course brings the likelihood that records could tumble.
Comrades Marathon fastest times
ALSO READ: Eight women who could win the 2023 Comrades Marathon
Men
Up Run – Leonid Shvetsov 5.24.39 2008
Down Run – David Gatebe 5.18.19 2016
Women
Up Run – Gerda Steyn 5:58:53 2019
Down Run – Frith van der Merwe 5.54.43 1989
ALSO READ: Eight men who could win the 2023 Comrades Marathon
Most wins
Men
Bruce Fordyce – 9
Women
Elena Nurgalieva – 8
Comrades Marathon winners
| Past Comrades winners | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | u/d | Time (Men) | Men’s Champion | Club | Time (Women) | Women’s Champion | Club |
| 2022 | d | 5:30:38 | Tete Dijana | Nedbank RC GN | 6:17:48 | Alexandra Morozova | International |
| — | cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to coronavirus pandemic | ||||||
| 2019 | u | 5:31:33 | Edward Mothibi | Nedbank RC GN | 5:58:53 | Gerda Steyn | Nedbank RC JHB |
| 2018 | d | 5:26:34 | Bongmusa Mthembu3 | Arthur Ford AC | 6:10:03 | Ann Ashworth | Massmart AC CG |
| 2017 | u | 5:35:34 | Bongmusa Mthembu2 | Arthur Ford AC | 6:27:35 | Camille Herron | Nedbank RC International |
| 2016 | d | 5:18:19 | David Gatebe | TomTom AC | 6:25:55 | Charne Bosman | Nedbank RC CG |
| 2015 | u | 5:38:36 | Gift Kelehe | Samancor Chrome MC | 6:12:22 | Caroline Wöstmann | Nedbank RC |
| 2014 | d | 5:28:29 | Bongmusa Mthembu | Nedbank RC KZN | 6:18:12 | Eleanor Greenwood | Nedbank International |
| 2013 | u | 5:32:09 | Claude Moshiywa | Nedbank RC GN | 6:27:09 | Elena Nurgalieva8 | Maxed Elite International |
| 2012 | d | 5:31:03 | Ludwick Mamabolo | Maxed Elite KZN | 6:07:12 | Elena Nurgalieva7 | Maxed Elite International |
| 2011 | u | 5:32:45 | Stephen Muzhingi3 | Formula 1 Bluff Meats AC | 6:24:11 | Elena Nurgalieva6 | Maxed Elite International |
| 2010 | d | 5:29:01 | Stephen Muzhingi2 | Formula 1 Bluff Meats AC | 6:13:03 | Elena Nurgalieva5 | Maxed Elite International |
| 2009 | d | 5:23:27 | Stephen Muzhingi | Formula 1 Bluff Meats AC | 6:12:08 | Olesya Nurgalieva2 | Maxed Elite International |
| 2008 | u | 5:24:49 | Leonid Shvetsov2 | Harmony International | 6:14:38 | Elena Nurgalieva4 | Maxed Elite International |
| 2007 | d | 5:20:49 | Leonid Shvetsov | Harmony International | 6:10:11 | Olesya Nurgalieva | Harmony International |
| 2006 | u | 5:35:19 | Oleg Kharitonov | Harmony International | 6:09:24 | Elena Nurgalieva3 | Russia |
| 2005 | d | 5:27:10 | Sipho Ngomane | Harmony AC MPL | 5:58:50 | Tatyana Zhirkova | Russia |
| 2004 | u | 5:31:22 | Vladimir Kotov3 | Maxed Elite PE | 6:11:15 | Elena Nurgalieva2 | Premier AC |
| 2003 | d | 5:28:52 | Fusi Nhlapo | Liberty Nike AC CG | 6:07:46 | Elena Nurgalieva | Russia |
| 2002 | u | 5:30:59 | Vladimir Kotov2 | Maxed Elite International | 6:14:21 | Maria Bak3 | Germany |
| 2001 | d | 5:25:51 | Andrew Kelehe | Rentmeester Fattis & Monis GN | 6:13:53 | Elvira Kolpakova | Russia |
| 2000 | u | 5:25:33 | Vladimir Kotov | Maxed Elite International | 6:15:35 | Maria Bak2 | Germany |
| 1999 | d | 5:30:10 | Jaroslaw Janicki | Maxed Elite International | 6:31:03 | Birgit Lennartz | Germany |
| 1998 | u | 5:26:25 | Dmitri Grishine2 | Rentmeester Fattis & Monis WP | 6:38:57 | Rae Bisschoff | Rocky Road Runners |
| 1997 | d | 5:28:37 | Charl Mattheus | Rentmeester Fattis & Monis WP | 5:58:24 | Ann Trason2 | USA |
| 1996 | u | 5:29:33 | Dmitri Grishine | Rentmeester Fattis & Monis WP | 6:13:23 | Ann Trason | USA |
| 1995 | d | 5:34:02 | Shaun Meiklejohn | Maxed Elite KZN | 6:22:57 | Maria Bak | Germany |
| 1994 | u | 5:38:39 | Alberto Salazar | USA | 6:41:23 | Valentina Lyakhova | Comrades International |
| 1993 | d | 5:39:41 | Charly Doll | Germany | 6:55:07 | Tilda Tearle | Savages AC |
| 1992 | u | 5:46:11 | Jetman Msutu[note 1] | unknown | 6:51:05 | Frances van Blerk | Magnolia Road Runners |
| 1991 | d | 5:40:53 | Nick Bester | Magnolia Road Runners | 6:08:19 | Frith van der Merwe3 | Benoni Northerns AC |
| 1990 | u | 5:40:25 | Bruce Fordyce9 | Rand AC | 7:02:00 | Naidene Harrison | Ladysmith AC |
| 1989 | d | 5:35:51 | Samuel Tshabalala | Spectrum Athletic Club | 5:54:43 | Frith van der Merwe2 | Benoni Northerns AC |
| 1988 | u | 5:27:42 | Bruce Fordyce8 | Rand AC | 6:32:56 | Frith van der Merwe | Benoni Northerns AC |
| 1987 | u | 5:37:01 | Bruce Fordyce7 | Rand AC | 6:48:42 | / Helen Lucre3 | Hillcrest Villagers AC |
| 1986 | d | 5:24:07 | Bruce Fordyce6 | Rand AC | 6:55:01 | / Helen Lucre2 | Hillcrest Villagers AC |
| 1985 | u | 5:37:01 | Bruce Fordyce5 | University of Witwatersrand | 6:53:24 | / Helen Lucre | Hillcrest Villagers AC |
| 1984 | d | 5:27:18 | Bruce Fordyce4 | University of Witwatersrand | 6:46:35 | Lindsay Weight2 | University of Cape Town AC |
| 1983 | u | 5:30:12 | Bruce Fordyce3 | University of Witwatersrand | 7:12:56 | Lindsay Weight | University of Cape Town AC |
| 1982 | d | 5:34:22 | Bruce Fordyce2 | University of Witwatersrand | 7:04:59 | Cheryl Winn | Pirates Road Running |
| 1981 | u | 5:37:28 | Bruce Fordyce | University of Witwatersrand | 6:44:35 | Isavel Roche-Kelly2 | University of Cape Town AC |
| 1980 | d | 5:38:25 | Alan Robb4 | Germiston Callies Harriers | 7:18: | Isavel Roche-Kelly | University of Cape Town AC |
| 1979 | u | 5:45:02 | Piet Vorster | Collegians Harriers | 8:22:41 | Jan Mallen | unknown |
| 1978 | d | 5:29:14 | Alan Robb3 | Germiston Callies Harriers | 8:25: | Lettie van Zyl3 | Germiston Callies Harriers |
| 1977 | u | 5:47:00 | Alan Robb2 | Germiston Callies Harriers | 8:58: | Lettie van Zyl2 | Germiston Callies Harriers |
| 1976 | d | 5:40:53 | Alan Robb | Germiston Callies Harriers | 9:05: | Lettie van Zyl | Germiston Callies Harriers |
| 1975 | u | 5:53:00 | Derek Preiss2 | Westville AC | 10:08: | Elizabeth Cavanagh2 | Estcourt AC |
| 1974 | u | 6:02:49 | Derek Preiss | Westville AC | 10:40: | Alet Kleynhans | Johannesburg Harriers AC |
| 1973 | d | 5:39:09 | Dave Levick | University of Cape Town AC | 8:40: | Maureen Holland4 | unknown |
| 1972 | u | 5:48:57 | Mick Orton | Tipton Harriers | 9:26: | Maureen Holland3 | unknown |
| 1971 | d | 5:47:06 | Dave Bagshaw3 | Savages AC | 8:37: | Maureen Holland2 | unknown |
| 1970 | u | 5:51:27 | Dave Bagshaw2 | Savages AC | 10:50: | Elizabeth Cavanagh | Estcourt AC |
| 1969 | d | 5:45:35 | Dave Bagshaw | Savages AC | |||
| 1968 | u | 6:01:11 | Jack Mekler5 | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1967 | d | 5:54:10 | Manie Kuhn | Savages AC | |||
| 1966 | u | 6:14:07 | Tommy Malone | Germiston Callies Harriers[72]: 23 | 9:30:00 | Maureen Holland | unknown |
| 1965 | d | 5:51:09 | Bernard Gomersall | unknown | 10:07: | Mavis Hutchinson | Germiston Callies Harriers |
| 1964 | u | 6:09:54 | Jack Mekler4 | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1963 | d | 5:51:20 | Jack Mekler3 | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1962 | u | 5:57:05 | John Smith | unknown | |||
| 1961 | d | 6:07:07 | George Claassen | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1960 | u | 5:56:32 | Jack Mekler2 | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1959 | d | 6:28:11 | Trevor Allen2 | Durban AC | |||
| 1958 | u | 6:26:26 | Jack Mekler | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1957 | d | 6:13:55 | Mercer Davies | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1956 | u | 6:33:35 | Gerald Walsh2 | Durban AC | |||
| 1955 | d | 6:06:32 | Gerald Walsh | Durban AC | |||
| 1954 | u | 6:12:55 | Wally Hayward5 | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1953 | d | 5:52:30 | Wally Hayward4 | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1952 | u | 7:00:02 | Trevor Allen | Durban AC | |||
| 1951 | d | 6:14:08 | Wally Hayward3 | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1950 | u | 6:46:25 | Wally Hayward2 | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1949 | d | 6:23:21 | Reg Allison | unknown | |||
| 1948 | u | 7:13:52 | William Savage2 | Durban AC | |||
| 1947 | d | 6:41:05 | Hardy Ballington5 | unknown | |||
| 1946 | u | 7:02:40 | Bill Cochrane2 | unknown | |||
| — | not held from 1941 to 1945 due to World War II | ||||||
| 1940 | u | 6:39:23 | Allen Boyce | Durban AC | |||
| 1939 | d | 6:22:05 | Johnny Coleman2 | unknown | |||
| 1938 | u | 6:32:26 | Hardy Ballington4 | unknown | |||
| 1937 | d | 6:23:11 | Johnny Coleman | unknown | |||
| 1936 | u | 6:46:14 | Hardy Ballington3 | unknown | |||
| 1935 | d | 6:30:05 | Bill Cochrane | unknown | |||
| 1934 | u | 7:09:03 | Hardy Ballington2 | unknown | |||
| 1933 | d | 6:50:37 | Hardy Ballington | unknown | 9:31:25 | Geraldine Watson3 | unknown |
| 1932 | u | 7:41:58 | William Savage | Germiston Callies Harriers | 11:56:00 | Geraldine Watson2 | unknown |
| 1931 | d | 7:16:30 | Phil Masterton-Smith | Natal Carbineers AC | 11 hrs + | Geraldine Watson | unknown |
| 1930 | u | 7:27:26 | Wally Hayward | Germiston Callies Harriers | |||
| 1929 | d | 7:52:00 | Darrell Dale | unknown | |||
| 1928 | u | 7:49:07 | Frank Sutton | unknown | |||
| 1927 | d | 6:40:56 | Arthur Newton5 | unknown | |||
| 1926 | u | 6:57:46 | Harry Phillips | unknown | |||
| 1925 | d | 6:24:45 | Arthur Newton4 | unknown | |||
| 1924 | u | 6:58:22 | Arthur Newton3 | unknown | |||
| 1923 | d | 6:56:00 | Arthur Newton2 | unknown | 11:35:00 | Frances Hayward | unknown |
| 1922 | u | 8:40:00 | Arthur Newton | unknown | |||
| 1921 | d | 8:59:00 | Bill Rowan | unknown |
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