Tete Dijana has won his third Comrades Marathon after he won this year’s marathon in Durban on Sunday.
This year’s ultra marathon edition was a down run, between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.
Dijana, who’s from Mafikeng, won in a time of 5 hrs 25 min 28 sec, to beat his closest rival and Nedbank teammate, Piet Wiersma of Netherlands who finished 5 hrs 25 min 33 sec.
The finish was a replica sprint finish of the 2023 marathon, which was won by Dijana.
Russia’s runner Nikolai Volkov finished third in a time of 5 hrs 29 min 42 sec.
Dijana’s win adds to the two he won in 2022 and 2023, but disappointedly finished 14th last year.
In the women’s race, defending champion Gerda Steyn’s continued her dominance of the marathon, by clinching her fourth title in a time of 5 hrs 51 min 19 sec.
Steyn won the marathon in 2019, 2023 and 2024, respectively.
The Bothaville runner is the current record holder of the Comrades up and down runs.
Russia’s Aleksandra Morozova finished in second position, in a time of 5 hrs 55 min 56 sec, while Kenya’s Shelmith Muriuki finished third in 6 hrs 07 min 56 sec.
This year’s edition will see both the men’s and women’s top ten finishers receive the same payouts, with the winner receiving R875 000, runner-up R438 000, while third-place pocket R315 000.
