Gerda Steyn winning the women's race at last year's Comrades Marathon in Durban. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
Last year’s winners, Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn, will line up as favourites for victory at the Comrades Marathon next weekend.
Competing over a shortened 85.91km course, new race records are on the cards. As always, however, there are a list of title challengers who will be targeting the men’s and women’s crowns.
We look at five men and five women who are among the elite entrants for the 97th edition of the annual race, an ‘up’ run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg on 9 June.
He’s not as experienced as some of his opponents, but 36-year-old Dijana has nothing to prove in terms of his ability.
After winning the race for the first time in 2022, he retained his title last year when he clocked 5:13:58 to break the ‘down’ run record, and the African 50km record holder is targeting his third straight Comrades victory.
Somewhat of a Comrades specialist, 39-year-old Mothibi is remarkably consistent, having finished in the top four at the last four successive editions of the race.
He won the previous ‘up’ run in 2019, and though he finished third last year, he completed the race in 5:17:34, also dipping under the seven-year-old ‘down’ run record.
Having made a significant impact on debut last year, when he took the runner-up spot just three seconds behind Dijana after pushing him all the way to the line, Wiersma returns in 2024 as one of the favourites
The 26-year-old Dutch athlete, who earned bronze at the 100km World Championships two years ago, should be in the hunt again.
It has been six years since Mthembu picked up the last of his three victories at the race, but the 40-year-old athlete is an icon of his era and remains competitive at elite level.
Also a former winner of the Two Oceans ultra-marathon in Cape Town, the African 100km record holder has the pedigree to secure his 10th Comrades gold medal.
Another consistent performer at Comrades in recent years, 41-year-old Manyedi has picked up gold medals at the last three editions of the race.
A former winner of the 50km Om Die Dam in Hartbeespoort, he is tough to beat at his best, and he will be hoping to make an impact at the front of the field once again.
Also expected to be in the chase for the title are the likes of Gordon Lesetedi and Rufus Photo, who have both previously earned multiple gold medals for top-10 finishes.
The foreign contingent includes consistent athlete Teboho Sello of Lesotho, who has earned four Comrades golds since 2015, and Russia’s Aleksei Beresnev, who finished sixth last year on debut.
Few times in the history of the race has there been a firmer favourite, and the SA marathon record holder will be very difficult to stop as she targets her third Comrades victory.
A five-time winner of the Two Oceans ultra-marathon in Cape Town, 34-year-old Steyn has been tipped to break her own ‘up’ run record of 5:58:53.
After producing a stunning debut in 2022, when she finished third, Broodryk went one better last year, taking second place behind Steyn.
Over the last few years, the 33-year-old North West University lecturer has won the Om Die Dam ultra-marathon twice and picked up three gold medals at Two Oceans, and if Steyn falters, she could be waiting to strike.
The determined 34-year-old Russian hasn’t always had the best relationship with the Comrades Marathon, having previously been denied prize money due to a ban on elite athletes from her home country, but she keeps returning with a smile.
A five-time gold medallist, she won the race in 2022, and Morozova has all the credentials to cause an upset against the local favourites.
The Polish athlete has become one of the most feared runners on South Africa’s ultra-distance circuit.
A two-time Two Oceans gold medallist, 42-year-old Stelmach has finished in the top five at the last three editions of Comrades, including a runner-up spot in 2022. The rest of the contenders will do well to keep an eye on her throughout the race.
Another regular competitor on South African roads, 43-year-old Jennings finished third on her Comrades debut in 2019, and she took fifth place last year.
The former Olympian holds the Irish national 50km and 100km records, and she secured the bronze medal at the 100km World Championships in 2022. She has the ability to give the elite field a shake once again.
The entry list also features the likes of Carla Molinaro, who was third last year, and former marathon specialist Jenna Challenor, a two-time Comrades gold medallist.
Among the international visitors are former ‘up’ run winner Camille Herron of the United States, as well as Camille Chaigneau of France, who earned the silver medal at the 2022 100km World Championships.
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