It’s all good and well knowing what the Comrades Marathon Down Run Route Profile is… what hills to expect, and when to expect them…
But the question is, how do you pace them? And how do you do that to run the perfect Comrades?
Let’s have a look at how to pace the perfect Comrades Marathon Down Run...
We’re going to share with you the perfect way to figure out which pacing strategy you should attempt, some examples of pacing charts, and we’re going to show you how to use them.
We’re also going to share with you how you can get your very own pacing chart for your Comrades Marathon goal.
Let’s break the route into 3 parts…
The First Third Of The Comrades Marathon Down Run
The pacing charts are designed to get the most out of each section and ensure that by running each section correctly, you get to the finish line in the best possible way, with the best possible time.
In the first 30 kilometers, you need to be cautious and stick to your pacing chart.
This is difficult, largely because the vast majority of the field has done very little training at Comrades pace.
All their long runs, all the easy runs, while being easy enough for training have been way too fast.
So runners can’t easily distinguish between what feels easy for 40 to 50 kilometers and what’s actually sustainable for 87.7 kilometers.
Your pacing chart is so crucial to how you pace yourself in those first 30 kilometers.
You’ve got to take it easy!
The hardest part is for the people that are running for between 11 and 12 hours because you lose so much time crossing the start line, you get into a panic, and then never mind running too fast at your easy pace, you push to try and catch up that last time.
And that is really putting yourself in a very compromised position for the final third.
So in the first 30 kilometres, it’s very important to stick to the paces on your pacing chart and make sure that you are drifting ahead no matter how good you are feeling, or how easy you think you are running.
If you are drifting ahead of that pacing charge, you need to do extra walking.
And that is so important because you have to make sure that you get through that first 30 kilometres doing as little damage as you can.
Pacing The 2nd Third Of The Comrades Marathon Down Run
This section is going to show you what type of day you’re going to have… you’re going to find out if the goal you set for yourself is achievable.
It also is the part of the race where if you are feeling a little fatigue in your legs, you can run easily and if you slowly drift ahead of your pacing chart, you don’t need to panic as this section does have a lot of downhill.
The halfway mark is a really good time for you to check how you’re doing, and you don’t want to be more than three or four minutes ahead of your pacing chart.
If you are ahead of your pacing charts, you either need to hope that you are completely wrong about your ability and that you are capable of a much better time than you set out for or you’re really setting yourself up for trouble in the second half of Comrades.
So as you roll through this third, you can really run as if you’re having conversations with people and you are holding yourself back slightly, then it’s okay to be drifting ahead.
When you get to just before 40 kilometers, just before you hit Inchanga… I strongly urge people to take a run/walk strategy up there so that they can really avoid doing more damage to their legs.
And then there will be a long drop into the halfway mark.
Now you can run most of that. But it is critical to not do too much damage and pounding to your legs, you want to run, you want to use the down, but you don’t want to push yourself to catch up time through that section.
Once you go through Drummond at 44.3 kilometers, you are then going to get onto what is the hardest time of the day.
The trick to this is to try and get to the top doing as little damage to your legs as possible.
Use a run/walk strategy on that first really hard steep section, I would do something like a one-minute run/one-minute walk, or a two-minute run, one-minute walk.
When you get on to the much gentler middle section on that climb, then you can be less conservative and maybe look at something like a five-minute run, one-minute walk, or three-minute run, one-minute walk.
And then once you’ve gotten past Alveston Mast, the very last steepest section to the back of Bothas Hill, I again suggest doing a run/walk method.
So you don’t want to be forcefully propelling yourself downhill. But you can let gravity sack you along with a little bit …Hillcrest will be fantastic, you’ll just see so many people almost most of you will have people there, and that will be something to look forward to.
And from that point on to the top of Fields Hill. It’s really just steady going and not holding yourself back so much anymore. But just make sure that you maintain a consistent effort from the top of Fields Hill with 27 kilometers to go.
The top of Fields Hill is when you start the final third of the Comrades Marathon.
Pacing The Final Third Of The Comrades Marathon
This is the section where you can be rewarded big time and make tons of time. (If you behave on Fields Hill)
We know that for most people, fatigue will have some impact. Additionally, the majority will struggle to go through halfway at a slow enough pace to set themselves up for a strong second half. However, I have three clients who have run between nine and eleven minutes faster in the second half, proving that it is absolutely possible to run significantly faster in the second half than in the first.
But critically, this tells you that, at the very least, you should be able to run close to even splits. One key strategy here is to use fuel to run most of Fields Hill—but not to push too hard on the downhill.
Even if you don’t push on Fields Hill, what often happens when you reach Pinetown is that your legs feel absolutely dead. This is because you’ve been running downhill for so long, you’ve already covered a significant distance, and some fatigue has inevitably set in.
If you keep running easy and stay in motion, that heavy-legged feeling from the pounding of Fields Hill—which is quite steep—actually fades fairly quickly. Soon, you’ll settle into a groove, find your rhythm, and feel good again.
That is, until Cowies Hill breaks that rhythm.
I recommend using a run/walk strategy up Cowies Hill. This approach will minimize damage to your already fatigued legs, putting you in a great position to run once you crest the hill.
Now, this is where the race shifts. If you’ve managed your pacing well up to this point, you can actually push a little. Over the next 10 kilometers—which are almost entirely downhill—you have the opportunity to make up time. If you run this section wisely, you can either get ahead of your goal time or afford to lose a little time in the final 5–6 kilometers while still finishing close to your Comrades goal.
You can walk the entire 45th Cutting if needed, but personally, at that stage of the race, I prefer not to walk for too long.
Once you reach the highway, you’ll notice different types of runners: some with their heads down, pushing forward to avoid the cut-off; others who have paced themselves perfectly and are flying through the final 5.5 kilometers, crossing Tollgate Bridge and running strong into Kingsmead Stadium.
Choosing the Right Pacing Chart & Strategy
Many runners make the mistake of choosing an unrealistic pacing chart. For example, if their goal is a sub-11-hour finish, they might think, “I’ll use the sub-10:30 or even the sub-10 pacing chart so I can bank extra time to ensure I finish.”
That’s the wrong approach.
How to Select Your Comrades Marathon 2025 Downrun Pacing Chart
This year, we have a new finish line. Traditionally, predicting your Comrades finish time was a simple equation:
You could take your best marathon time from the past six months, multiply it by 2.5, and that would give you a solid estimate of what you should be capable of running at Comrades.
However, with the race being 2.5 kilometers shorter this year, it would be unrealistic to assume that equation still applies exactly. That said, one of my favorite things about Comrades is the milestone cut-offs—the points where medal colors change.
No matter your goal—whether you’re racing to win or aiming for an 11-hour finish—you have to dig deep over those final 15 kilometers. And while, in theory, the shorter distance could mean a finish time 15 to 20 minutes faster than usual, many runners will do the math mid-race and realize:
“I can ease off a little in the last 15 kilometers and still secure my bronze, even if I don’t quite hit my 10:45 potential.”
How to Calculate Your True Potential on Race Day
- Take your best marathon time and multiply it by 2.5.
- Then, take your average pace, multiply that by 2 to 2.5, and subtract it from your total time.
- Finally, factor in any time lost at the start due to congestion.
If you prefer a physical pacing chart to keep you on track, they will be available for sale at the Comrades Expo—a handy tool to ensure you stay on pace from start to finish.
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