Defending champion Tete Dijana reclaimed his Comrades Marathon crown in a thrilling men’s race, while South Africa’s distance running queen Gerda Steyn cemented her legendary status with a record-extending fourth women’s title in Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.
The 38-year-old Dijana (05:25:28) staged a spectacular comeback after last year’s disappointing 14th-place finish, outsprinting 2023 winner Piet Wiersma of the Netherlands in the final kilometers. Russia’s Nikolai Volkov completed the men’s podium.
Steyn delivered another masterclass in ultra-running dominance, leaving rivals in her wake as she added to her 2019, 2022 and 2023 victories. The 33-year-old’s latest triumph came ahead of Russian veteran Alexandra Morozova (2nd, sixth gold medal) and Kenya’s breakthrough star Shelmith Muriuki (3rd) – the first Kenyan woman to podium in the race’s 97-year history.
Key Highlights:
The victories cap remarkable redemption arcs for both champions – Dijana bouncing back from his 2023 slump and Steyn further distancing herself as the most dominant female Comrades runner of the modern era. Over 20,000 runners participated in the 86km up-run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, with both winners demonstrating the strategic patience and explosive finishing speed that have become their trademarks.
As thousands of spectators lined the final kilometers through Pietermaritzburg, the emotional scenes at the finish line underscored why the Comrades remains Africa’s most beloved ultra-marathon, where legends are made and history waits around every bend.