Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn come out on top of Comrades Marathon podium

by Nomonde Simelane

The energy in Kwa-Zulu Natal this past weekend can be best described as palpable, as athletes and spectators from around the world gathered to witness Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn emerge as this year’s champions after pulling off generational performances at the Comrades Marathon.

The Comrades Marathon, also known as the ultimate human race, is not only the world’s oldest, but the world’s largest ultra-marathon race. The coveted annual event is interchangeably hosted by the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, and sees participants taking on an approximate 90 km distance. Although the event has been held in South Africa since its inception, the competition has welcomed participants and champions from all over the world.

After winning it all consecutively in 2022 and 2023, and then going on to pull off a disappointing 16th-place finish in 2024, Tete Dijana has returned to the Comrades Marathon podium to claim his third title after showcasing one of the most inspiring displays of redemption.

Due to the high level of skill and competition that is present at this event, plenty of drama and action is always anticipated by spectators, however, this years electrifying finish did not only meet expectations, but exceeded them, as this year’s edition saw South Africa’s Tete finishing merely five seconds ahead of last year’s champion in Netherlands’ Piet Wiersma, who is affectionately known as ‘The flying Dutchman’.

Men’s top finishers:

  1. Tete Dijana (SA)

  2. Piet Wiersma (Netherlands)

  3. Nikolai Volkov (Russia)

  4. Edward Mothibi (SA)

On the women’s side, Gerda Steyn reaffirmed her status as one of the most dominant ultra-runners, as well as mzansi’s pride and joy after pulling off an impressive 05:51:19 run time to successfully complete a three-peat, and claim her fourth title after previously claiming the title in 2024, 2023 and 2019.

Women’s top finishers:

  1. Gerda Steyn (SA)
  2. Alexandra Morozova (Russia)
  3. Shelmith Muriuki (Kenya)

Also see: Controversy sparks as Advocate Charles Mnisi set to miss Meyiwa proceedings due to running Comrades Marathon