
Missing Comrades runner found in Durban
Race director Alain Dalais said Moira Harding had walked eight kilometres from the finish.
The finish line of the Comrades Marathon in Durban. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
A missing woman has been found after seemingly vanishing on Sunday, following the Comrades Marathon ultra-distance race.
Moira Harding, a runner from Cape Town, completed the 90km race in 10:52:03 on Sunday afternoon.
After reaching the finish in a delirious state, however, Harding had started walking through the streets of Durban and became lost.
Comrades Marathon race director Alain Dalais said a search party had looked for her into the early hours of the morning, and she was eventually found more than 12 hours after she had finished the race.
Wondered for eight kilometres
'A search party was formed and we looked everywhere we could, but she had walked eight kilometres from the finish venue, which is why it took so long to find her,' Dalais said.
'She was in a delirious state, but she is safe and we are relieved she is ok.'
Meanwhile, Dalais confirmed no runners had died during the 98th running of the annual race.
'One runner suffered cardiac arrest and was airlifted to hospital, but we have received confirmation that they are stable, which is another great relief for us as the organisers of the race.'

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The South African
28 minutes ago
- The South African
Key update on condition of recently found Comrades runner
On Monday it was confirmed that Comrades runner, Moira Harding, had been found after previously being reported missing soon after completing the ultramarathon in Durban on Sunday. Harding was found near the National Sea Rescue Institute base in The Point area of Durban, which is nearly as much as 7km away from the marathon's finishing point at People's Park. After Harding was reported missing, a massive overnight search was launched, and which proved fruitless until the early hours of Monday morning. Garrith Jamieson, the director of ALS Paramedics, has provided a key update when speaking to SABC News . Jamieson said a few 'leads' were followed, and that it remains unclear how Harding ended up near the NSRI base before being airlifted to hospital once she was found between 07:00 and 08:00. In providing an update on her condition, he commented: 'It had a lot to do with temperature, she had just finished a marathon, a very long run, and your body is already tired. Then with the weather and being outside all night, anyone would be cold, especially with the rain. 'She was extremely cold, hyperthermic, which leads to a further state of confusion.' Harding's family are also said to have stated that she was discovered disoriented and rushed to a hospital, believed to be in Umhlanga. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 0211. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.

IOL News
29 minutes ago
- IOL News
Gerda Steyn's love for the Comrades shines through in her latest victory
Gerda Steyn has now won three consecutive Comrades after her latest victory this past Sunday. | Sibonelo Ngcobo Independent Media Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo Independent Media Gerda Steyn is hoping to extend her Comrades Marathon love affair as long as her body allows it, fans of the darling of SA road running – and the Ultimate Human Race in particular – will be delighted to hear. Her love for the Comrades was evident once again as the 'Smiling Assassin' sprinkled her infectious fairy dust all along the route on her way to a third title in a row in Sunday's down run. It was definitely reciprocated at the finish line on the streets outside People's Park in Durban. The chants of "Gerda! Gerda! Gerda!" grew ever louder as the diminutive road running star drew closer to the finish. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad loading The cheers that greeted her when she breasted the tape in the 98th edition of the race were arguably among the loudest on the day, with hundreds of delirious well-wishers banging on the advertising hoardings lining the finish in a celebratory cacophony. Gerda responded by waving at her adoring fans, the ever-present smile lighting up her face despite being in obvious pain. She had to dig deep at the end of the race, but pulled through in typical fashion, carried to victory by the raucous support. 'It was an amazing feeling so close to the finish line,' she told Independent Media, after the race. "You've run for many, many hours and trained for many, many months and then finally to get to the finishing straight knowing that you're going to break the tape, is a moment that's difficult to explain in words." Steyn made her observations as a special guest of detergent brand OMO's Stay Unbeatable campaign. 'This race stands out for me even more above the other Comrades that I've done. Every year it just feels like it gets bigger and more special and it creeps even deeper under my skin.' The 35-year-old Steyn crossed the finish line in 5:51:10, to bag her fourth title, following her maiden victory back in 2019. Russia's Alexandra Morozova, a former winner, finished in second (5:55:56). Fellow South African Tete Dijana won the men's race. With the job done for another year, SA's ultramarathon queen is looking forward to putting her feet up. 'When it comes to my diet, I have to be strict and particular when I'm training and before a race as well. So, I definitely look forward to treating myself a little bit after the race. 'If there's two items that stand out for me, what I'm looking forward to the most, perhaps a glass of red wine and a big ice cream,' she revealed. 'Normally the dust settles after about a week and after that I will definitely be enjoying a nice break both for the body and for the mind. I plan to spend it with friends and family and just relax and get strong for the next challenge.' Steyn revealed she is hoping to run another marathon at the end of the year, while being wary of overextending herself. Gerda Steyn added to her growing Comrades domination on Sunday. Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers 'It is always tempting because there's so many amazing races around the country and around the world. So, it's difficult to say no to many races – I love racing – but for me I've seen in the past it works really well if I plan my racing calendar with about three races a year,' she said. 'I'm hoping to run the Soweto Marathon because I've never done that before.' None of the races will ever take the place of the Ultimate Human Race in Gerda's heart, however. 'Comrades, to me, means so much more than a race. It's where I found my passion for running and my passion in life as well.


The Citizen
44 minutes ago
- The Citizen
Comrades runner reported missing found near Durban harbour in serious condition
Comrades runner reported missing found near Durban harbour in serious condition Moira Harding, the missing Comrades Marathon runner, has been found in a critical condition on Mahatma Gandhi Road in Durban. Highway Mail reports that appeals for help were shared widely on social media after she went missing yesterday at the Comrades finish. Harding, representing the Fish Hoek Athletic Club, was recorded as finishing in under 11 hours on the Comrades live tracker app. According to ALS Paramedics spokesperson Garrith Jamieson, a wide-scale search was launched for the missing runner. 'She was found in a critical state and was transported to hospital by helicopter. Advanced life support paramedics, SAPS, Metro Police Search and Rescue were all on scene near the [National Sea Rescue Institute] base at the end of Mahatma Gandhi Road (Point Road),' Jamieson explains. Her brother-in-law, Sean Baldwin, says they are relieved that she had been found safe and was being transported to a hospital in Durban. 'She was found near the port and we are waiting at the hospital,' he adds. Harding, who is originally from Durban and now lives in Cape Town, ran the Comrades Marathon with her sister, Fiona. 'They ran together for most of the route and around the 70km or 80km mark they split. Fiona finished 20 minutes ahead of her. There were reports of her last seen in the runners' pen but nothing since then,' Baldwin explained previously. A missing person's case was opened at the Durban Central Police Station. Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!