KZN athletics body threatens to axe 2027 Comrades

KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) is threatening legal action to shut down the 100th Comrades Marathon next year, saying it has not sanctioned the 2027 edition of South Africa’s most famous road race.

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA), which cancelled its affiliation to KZNA over a perceived attempt by the provincial body to take control of the race organisation, has announced that the event will take place on June 13 2027.

It also countered the race dates for next year and 2028 had been approved by Athletics South Africa (ASA), the national federation.

In a lawyer’s letter sent to CMA on Tuesday, KZNA pointed out that CMA was not affiliated to the provincial body, which claims that all athletics meetings in the province “must be organised under the auspices of KZNA or a structure of KZNA”.

“The announcement creates the false impression that KZNA has sanctioned the 2027 Comrades Marathon and that CMA has been authorised by KZNA to host the event,” read the letter, which gave CMA until Friday afternoon to agree to stop making any announcements about next year’s race.

“Should you nevertheless persist in the abovementioned wrongful conduct, we hold instructions to institute an application for an urgent interdict, prior to the opening of race entries, in terms of which CMA will be prevented from hosting the 2027 Comrades Marathon.”

The Comrades Marathon boosts KwaZulu-Natal’s GDP by more than R600m a year.

In its response on Wednesday afternoon, CMA countered that it had not claimed that next year’s race had been sanctioned by KZNA.

“We record that the 2027 and 2028 Comrades Marathon race dates have been duly approved at the national level by [ASA].”

CMA said ASA board member Enoch Skosana, the chair of the road running committee, had confirmed in writing to CMA general manager Alain Dalais that CMA’s request for June 13 2027 and June 11 2028 had been approved.

Skosana told TimesLIVE approval had been granted to Comrades and other regular annual races, including the Cape Town Marathon and Two Oceans, adding the 2027 fixture list was still in draft form.

“When it’s an annual race it’s common sense,” Skosana said.

CMA said in its response to KZNA: “Skosana’s written approval stated: ‘Your dates request is approved and please email the KZNA for their fixture list.’ CMA has accordingly acted with the express approval of ASA in announcing the 2027 race date.

“The assertion in your letter that CMA’s application ‘remains under consideration by KZNA’ and that ‘no approval has been granted’ is therefore, at best, incomplete.

“The race dates have been approved at the highest level of the national federation.”

CMA also contested KZNA’s insistence that the Comrades Marathon required its approval.

“This proposition is … legally unfounded. The legal position under South African law is clear: no statute expressly requires a marathon or ultramarathon organiser to be affiliated with a provincial or national athletics federation in order to lawfully stage an event.”

The CMA would respectfully suggest that federation resources would be better directed toward the development and promotion of athletics in this country.

—  Comrades Marathon Association

The CMA cited the National Sport and Recreation Act which, it said, set out obligations for recognised bodies, but did not impose prohibitions on unaffiliated organisers staging events.

CMA also pointed out that the KZNA constitutional requirement that all athletics meetings in the province be organised under the auspices of the provincial body were binding only on KZNA members.

CMA also questioned KZNA’s decision to take legal action.

“We record the CMA’s concern … regarding the expenditure of federation resources in this matter. The CMA presumes that ASA is unaware that KZNA is expending federation funds on the retention of high-priced legal counsel for purposes that appear designed solely to frustrate the CMA’s sincere desire to work collaboratively … with both KZNA and ASA for the advancement of ultra-running and athletics in South Africa.

“The CMA would respectfully suggest that federation resources would be better directed toward the development and promotion of athletics in this country, rather than toward litigation aimed at obstructing an event that has been staged annually for nearly a century and which brings immeasurable benefit to the sport, to the province of KwaZulu-Natal and to South Africa as a whole.”

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