Race Shape › Calculators › Comrades predictor › The Comrades bronze medal: what it takes
The 100th Comrades · 13 June 2027The Comrades bronze medal: what it takes
The Comrades bronze medal is for everyone finishing from ten hours to under eleven. That is an average of 7:20 per kilometre over about 90 km, and as a guide it takes a marathon of about 4:18:00or faster; quicker than about 3:55:00 points to the medal above. Type your own marathon to see where you land.
On that marathon, aim for Bronze; Robert Mtshali is possible on a very good day.
Every medal, and what it takes
| Medal | Finish under | Pace | Marathon needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wally Hayward (men) | 6:00:00 | 4:00/km | about 2:20:43 |
| Isavel Roche-Kelly (women) | 7:00:00 | 4:40/km | about 2:44:11 |
| Silver (men from 6:00) | 7:30:00 | 5:00/km | about 2:55:54 |
| Bill Rowan | 9:00:00 | 6:00/km | about 3:31:05 |
| Robert Mtshali | 10:00:00 | 6:40/km | about 3:54:32 |
| Bronze | 11:00:00 | 7:20/km | about 4:18:00 |
| Vic Clapham | 12:00:00 | 8:00/km | about 4:41:27 |
The numbers for the Bronze
| Finish | 10:00:00 to 10:59:59 |
|---|---|
| Average pace | 7:20/km for the cut-off; 7:17/km for a five-minute margin (10:55:00) |
| Even-pace halfway | 5:30:00 at 45 km — and the second half is slower for nearly everyone, so be ahead of it |
| Marathon that points to it | about 4:18:00 (faster than 3:55:00 points to the medal above) |
| The same fitness at shorter races | half marathon about 2:05:00 · 10 km about 56:00 |
| Race day | Sunday, 13 June 2027 |
Where the name comes from
The bronze is the classic Comrades finish — for most of the race’s history, the medal most runners came home with.
How people earn it
About a 4:15 marathon points to it. The margin above the 12-hour cut-off feels generous early and is not: runners who get it bank nothing in the first half, walk to a plan, and keep eating when they do not feel like it.
For that fitness, Race Shape would set easy runs no faster than 6:50/km (7:25/km if you train in Johannesburg), marathon pace about 6:09/km and threshold about 5:49/km. A full 24-week block for the Comrades starts on Monday Monday, 21 December 2026; a plan built later counts back from race day and fits the weeks that are left.
Medal standards as published by the race organisers. Check the official rules for the year you run before you plan around a cut-off.
Build my Bronze plan — free to buildSee your whole block before you pay.
Common questions
What time do you need for a Comrades bronze medal?
10:00:00 to 10:59:59: everyone finishing from ten hours to under eleven.
What marathon time do I need for a Comrades bronze medal?
As a guide, about 4:18:00 or faster. Real finishers average about 2.56× their marathon over this distance, so a marginal qualifier is rarely enough on the day.
What pace is a Comrades bronze medal?
7:20 per kilometre on average to finish at the cut-off. With walk breaks, your running pace has to be quicker than that.
When should I start training for the Comrades bronze medal?
A full 24-week block for the Sunday, 13 June 2027 race starts on Monday Monday, 21 December 2026, on top of a marathon base. Start dates for every race.