GALLERY: Comrades brings the vibe at Kingsmead
Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Durban to cheer on the runners on the home stretch
WITH 16 072 Comrades Marathon runners on the start line on Sunday June 11, and 14 896 finishers, the 96th Comrades Marathon enjoyed an astounding 92.68% finish rate which is recorded as the highest ever finishing rate in the race’s 102 year history.
Thousands of spectators lined the streets of Durban to cheer on the runners on the home stretch
On race though, records tumbled at this year’s Comrades Marathon (the 96th overall) as South Africa’s Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn set two new course records in the mens’ and womens’ races respectively.
Dijana won his second successive Comrades Marathon title on Sunday, crossing the finish line at the Hollywoodbets Kingsmead Cricket Stadium in a time of 05:13:58 in a new course record.
The 34-year-old was considered a race favourite ahead of this year’s marathon in what was only his third Comrades Marathon.
The previous record for the best Down Run was set in 2016 by David Gatebe who finished in a time of 05:18:19.
Dijana is only the 18th male runner to win the Comrades Marathon more than once.
Fellow Nedbank Running Club member Piet Wiersma from The Netherlands put him under immense pressure right until the finish line but ultimately settled for second in a time of 05:14:01.
The 2019 champion, Edward Mothibi, finished third.
South Africa’s Gerda Steyn, already the record holder of the Up Run time, secured the women’s crown in spectacular fashion and set a new course record in the Down Run, finishing in a time of 05:44:54.
The previous best was held by Frith van der Merwe in 1989 who finished in a time of 05:54:43.
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