All Roads Lead to KZN as Comrades Marathon Returns
Piet Wiersma of the Netherlands crosses the finish line at the 2024 Comrades Marathon – an up run. Photo: BackpagePix
Image: Backpagepix
The popular cliché 'all roads lead to...' is often misused. For once, though, there will be some truth to it this week, as KwaZulu-Natal's (KZN) Pietermaritzburg and Durban become the destination of many.
So here it goes: 'All roads will lead down the N3 south this week' as runners make their way to the 98th running of the world-famous Comrades Marathon.
It is an annual pilgrimage that brings together people from all walks of life to tackle arguably the most gruelling road race in the world – the approximately 90km run between KZN's two biggest cities.
This year's race will be run from the capital city, Pietermaritzburg, down to the commercial hub of Durban, with the biggest question on Comrades enthusiasts' minds no doubt being whether the flying Dutchman, Piet Wiersma, will unseat Tete Dijana as champion.
Two years ago, Wiersma announced himself at Comrades with a compelling debut run that saw him finish a close second to defending champion Dijana – both runners dipping under David Gatebe's previous Down Run best time of 5:18:19. Dijana clocked 5:13:58, with Wiersma flying in just three seconds later.
It was one of the closest finishes in Comrades Marathon history, with Dijana cheered on by the crowd as he sprinted towards the tape, Wiersma looming large behind him.
The Dutchman, though a member of the Nedbank Running Club to which Dijana is also affiliated, had come from left field and stunned both Dijana and his training partner Edward Mothibi by sticking with them throughout – the duo having expected to replicate their one-two finish from the previous year (regardless of the order).
Tete Dijana. Photo: SIBONELO NGCOBO Independent Newspapers
Image: SIBONELO NGCOBO Independent Newspapers
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