Comrades Marathon 2027 training plan

Why the Down Run needs its own preparation

"Down" sounds easy. It isn't. The route loses height overall, but it still climbs, Inchanga among the climbs, and the long descents in the second half, Fields Hill and Cowies Hill among them, come when your legs are already tired. Running downhill makes your quads brake with every step. That eccentric loading is what leaves Down Run finishers walking backwards down stairs on Monday.

So a Down Run plan needs three things a flat marathon plan doesn't: enough volume to cover 91 km, legs that have practised descending on fatigue, and the strength to absorb it.

The training phases

With the race on 13 June 2027, a runner starting in October has roughly eight months. That is a comfortable runway for a first Comrades if you already run regularly. Treat the dates below as a guide; your plan should start from where your training actually is.

How much running?

There is no single right number. Many first-time finishers peak somewhere around 70 to 90 km a week, while runners chasing a faster medal often go well beyond 100 km. What matters more than the peak is getting there without injury: consistent weeks beat heroic ones. Longest single runs in the race-specific phase are usually in the 50 to 60 km range, often as part of a weekend with a shorter run the next day.

The qualifier

You need a qualifying race, normally a standard marathon under 5 hours run within the official qualifying window, and your qualifying time affects your seeding at the start. Check comrades.com for the 2027 window and standards before you pick your race. Run your qualifier as part of the plan, not as a flat-out effort that costs you two weeks of training.

Training for the downhills

• Downhill running practice. Include descents in your long runs from February, and do occasional sessions of controlled downhill repeats. Start short and gentle; the soreness from your first sessions is the adaptation you want before race day, not on it.
• Descend on tired legs. Plan long-run routes that put hills in the second half, so you practise exactly what Fields Hill asks of you.
• Run the real route. In KZN, Beloved Long Runs runs the full Down Run route over Easter (Comrades in 3 Days, 26 to 29 March 2027) and a 56 km Pietermaritzburg-to-Hillcrest Route Tester on 8 May, both with water tables.
• Eccentric strength. Slow-lowering squats, split squats, step-downs and calf raises build the quads and calves that do the braking. Two short sessions a week at home is enough. See our home strength guide for runners.
• Keep your form. Short, quick steps downhill load the legs less than long, braking ones. A running form check during the build shows whether you are overstriding.

Fuelling for 91 km

At Comrades, fuelling isn't optional: most runners are out there between 9 and 12 hours. Endurance sports guidance is to take in roughly 60 g of carbohydrate an hour in long events, and up to around 90 g an hour for well-trained athletes using mixed sugars. Your gut needs training to handle that, so practise your race-day food and drink on every long run from March, not just in the last month.

• Decide what you will use from the refreshment tables and what you will carry, and train with exactly that.
• Drink to thirst and take some sodium, especially if the afternoon in Durban is warm.
• Carb-load in the last 36 to 48 hours, not the whole week. Our nutrition tracking guide covers how to fuel the training around it.

Running Two Oceans and the Cape Town Marathon in the same season

Two Oceans (4 April) is ten weeks before Comrades and works well as a long training run if you run it at a controlled effort. The Cape Town Marathon (23 May) is only three weeks out, right where your taper starts: if Comrades is your goal, run it easily or not at all. See the Two Oceans and Cape Town Marathon guides.

How SportMentor builds your Comrades plan

Tell your mentor you are running the 2027 Comrades, what you want from the day and how many days a week you can train. It builds the plan from tomorrow to 13 June, week by week, from your own training history, whether that comes from Garmin, COROS, Polar, Suunto, Intervals.icu, Strava or Fitbit, or from sessions you log yourself.

• The plan follows what you actually do. Missed a long run or had a heavy week at work? It adjusts the weeks ahead instead of pretending it didn't happen.
• Guided home strength sessions are built into the plan, matched to the kit you have and any niggles you are managing.
• Race-week fuelling changes with the calendar: taper, carb-load, race day and recovery.
• A weekly check-in looks at how the training went and what comes next.

Build my Comrades plan →

Questions runners ask

Is eight months enough for a first Comrades?

For most people who already run regularly and can run a marathon comfortably by early in the year, yes. If you are starting from very little running, talk to your mentor about a realistic goal for 2027, and get a check-up from your doctor before you start a big build.

How long should my longest run be?

Most plans top out at 50 to 60 km, run once or twice about four to six weeks before the race. You don't need to run anywhere near 91 km in training.

Should I walk during Comrades?

Many runners plan walk breaks, particularly on the climbs. If you plan to walk, practise it in training so it is part of your rhythm rather than a sign that things are going wrong.

This guide is general training information, not medical advice. Check with your doctor before starting an ultra-marathon build, especially if you have a heart condition, an injury or another health concern.