Comrades Marathon issues statement after voting to cut ties with KZN Athletics
· The South African
The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) held a Special General Meeting (SGM) on Saturday, 1 August to consider the Association’s strategic direction regarding its relationship with KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) and Athletics South Africa (ASA).
More than 1 000 CMA Members attended the SGM, either in person at Comrades House in Pietermaritzburg or via an online link.
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Members voted decisively
Following the formal presentation of two tabled resolutions, members voted decisively that the CMA should not re-affiliate to KZNA, and that the CMA should adopt a Comrades-first approach in its dealings with provincial and national athletics structures.
Saturday’s decisions follow the resolution passed by CMA Members at the Annual General Meeting (AGM) in November 2025, that the CMA withdraw as a Special Member of KZNA and instead seek affiliation directly to ASA.
ASA subsequently informed the CMA that direct affiliation would not be permitted, and that the CMA should engage with KZNA to seek a resolution to the issues between the parties.
Following a meeting between the CMA, KZNA and ASA on 10 July 2026, ASA requested that the CMA board refer the November 2025 decision back to CMA members for reconsideration.
‘Excited about next year’s race’
The CMA board agreed to do so, and at Saturday’s SGM the majority of members once again confirmed their position against re-affiliation with the provincial body.
“The CMA Board believes that our members are engaged, informed, and well-placed to determine the association’s position on matters of importance,” says chairperson of the CMA Board, Mark Leathers.
“Our members made their November 2025 decision after due consideration, and the board considered it appropriate to place the matter before members again to provide a clear mandate on the path forward, given the significance of these matters to the governance, independence, and long-term interests of the CMA and the Comrades Marathon.”
“Our members have once again confirmed their preference for the CMA to chart its own course. We are confident that we have the resources, experience, and commitment to continue presenting a world-class event, and we are excited about next year’s Centenary Edition of the race on 13 June 2027. The CMA remains willing to engage constructively with all parties for the betterment of the sport, the event, and the broader running community, and the door remains open for further discussions with KZNA and ASA,” adds Leathers.
TABLED RESOLUTIONS
At Saturday’s SGM, Members were asked to consider and vote on the following resolutions.
Resolution 1: Strategic Approach to Provincial and National Athletics Structures
* Option 1 – Accommodative Approach: “That the CMA continue to accommodate, where possible, the demands, requirements, and expectations of provincial and national athletics structures in the interests of reducing resistance and preserving an easier administrative path, recognising that this may perpetuate the present culture of external insertion into CMA and Comrades Marathon matters.”
* Option 2 – CMA-first Approach: “That the CMA adopt a firm CMA-first and Comrades Marathon-first approach, under which the Association will not compromise on ethics, legality, CMA governance, financial responsibility towards the CMA, or the interests of the race, and will, if necessary, withstand the disputes or resistance that may follow.”
* Option 1: 229 votes (20.78%)
* Option 2: 873 votes (79.22%)
(Total of 1 102 votes cast)
Resolution 2: Whether the CMA should re-affiliate to KZNAThe proposed resolution was: “Resolved that the Comrades Marathon Association re-affiliate to KwaZulu-Natal Athletics, on such terms and through such process as may lawfully and practically be required to give effect to such re-affiliation.”
The voting results on Resolution 2 were as follows * For re-affiliation: 338 votes (32.75%)
* Against re-affiliation: 694 votes (67.25%)
(Total of 1 032 votes cast; 74 abstentions)
Following the voting, Leathers added: “In recent years, CMA Membership has grown significantly as more runners and volunteers have expressed their desire to be involved in the running of this great event. We thank all who exercised their right to participate in this process, and for giving us a clear mandate on the way forward.”
“The Comrades Marathon will always be part of the larger running community of South Africa. The CMA will continue to act in the best interests of the event and its participants, and remains committed to constructive engagement with all stakeholders in the sport. We look forward to delivering an unforgettable Centenary Edition in 2027.”
This year’s men’s race was won by George Kusche, while Gerda Steyn won the women’s race for the fifth time.
Both Kusche and Steyn set new ‘Up’ run records in winning this year’s race.