This made him the sole runner from the club to clock a sub seven-hour time.
Bester was joined by Karel Burger (7:08:27) and Eugene van der Westhuizen (the club’s top three in the men’s race), while Taryn Retief (8:22:32), Lindi-Lee Folscher (8:34:08) and Monica Vortser (8:47:25) finished as the first three in the women’s race.
Of the 140 athletes, 110 completed the race within 12 hours.
There were 10 members of the club with an A seeding for this year’s race – van der Westhuizen, Bester, Khulekani Zwane, Oudemane Metswamere, Joseph Morowane, Lucky Ramakuwela, Wynand Strydom, Ryan Gibson, George Benade and Burger.
Rustenburg policeman Gift Kelehe won the marathon, completing this year’s ”up run” from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in a time of 5:38:36.
Caroline Wostman ensured that the country made a clean sweep in this year’s Comrades, clinching the women’s race in an impressive time of 6:12:22.
Kelehe’s victory marked a milestone in the famous race, as it meant two brothers have won it for the first time in the race’s history. His older brother, Andrew, triumphed in the ”down run” in 2001.
