Latest news with #UpRun
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Dijana completes hat-trick of Comrades Down Run victories
TETE Dijana won an incredible third Comrades Marathon Down Run title on Sunday (June 8). The Nedbank Running Club athlete, who finished 14th at last year's Up Run, exorcised those painful memories to make it a hat-trick of victories outside People's Park in Durban. Dijana now holds the 2022, 2023 and 2025 Down Run titles. Last year's Comrades winner Piet Wiersma, who's earned the nickname 'The Flying Dutchman' finished in second while Nikolia Volkov finished in third place. Meanwhile in the ladies race, Gerda Steyn won her fourth Comrades Marathon title. Steyn, who represented South Africa at the Olympics last year, was all smiles as she crossed the finish line. Russia's Alexandra Morozova finished second to win her sixth gold medal. Shelmisth Muriuki became the first Kenyan woman to finish on the Comrades podium placing third. This year's Comrades Marathon, run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, is slightly longer than the 87.701km of the previous Down Run (2023), as the finish has been moved to outside People's Park at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. This is the 98th edition of the iconic ultra-distance marathon and the 49th Down Run overall. A field of over 22 000 runners are hoping to finish this year's Comrades Marathon before the final 12-hour cut-off gun is fired. For more from Berea Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Comrades Marathon crowns 2025 winners
TETE Dijana won an incredible third Comrades Marathon Down Run title on Sunday (June 8). The Nedbank Running Club athlete, who finished 14th at last year's Up Run, exorcised those painful memories to make it a hat-trick of victories outside People's Park in Durban. Dijana now holds the 2022, 2023 and 2025 Down Run titles. Last year's Comrades winner Piet Wiersma, who's earned the nickname 'The Flying Dutchman' finished in second while Nikolia Volkov finished in third place. Meanwhile in the ladies race, Gerda Steyn won her fourth Comrades Marathon title. Steyn, who represented South Africa at the Olympics last year, was all smiles as she crossed the finish line. Russia's Alexandra Morozova finished second to win her sixth gold medal. Shelmisth Muriuki became the first Kenyan woman to finish on the Comrades podium placing third. This year's Comrades Marathon, run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, is slightly longer than the 87.701km of the previous Down Run (2023), as the finish has been moved to outside People's Park at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. This is the 98th edition of the iconic ultra-distance marathon and the 49th Down Run overall. A field of over 22 000 runners are hoping to finish this year's Comrades Marathon before the final 12-hour cut-off gun is fired. For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook , X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
3 hours ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Dijana, Steyn win Comrades Marathon titles
TETE Dijana won an incredible third Comrades Marathon Down Run title on Sunday (June 8). The Nedbank Running Club athlete, who finished 14th at last year's Up Run, exorcised those painful memories to make it a hat-trick of victories outside People's Park in Durban. Dijana now holds the 2022, 2023 and 2025 Down Run titles. Last year's Comrades winner Piet Wiersma, who's earned the nickname 'The Flying Dutchman' finished in second while Nikolia Volkov finished in third place. Meanwhile in the ladies race, Gerda Steyn won her fourth Comrades Marathon title. Steyn, who represented South Africa at the Olympics last year, was all smiles as she crossed the finish line. Russia's Alexandra Morozova finished second to win her sixth gold medal. Shelmisth Muriuki became the first Kenyan woman to finish on the Comrades podium placing third. This year's Comrades Marathon, run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, is slightly longer than the 87.701km of the previous Down Run (2023), as the finish has been moved to outside People's Park at the Moses Mabhida Stadium. This is the 98th edition of the iconic ultra-distance marathon and the 49th Down Run overall. A field of over 22 000 runners are hoping to finish this year's Comrades Marathon before the final 12-hour cut-off gun is fired. For more from Northglen News, follow us on Facebook , X or Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok. Click to subscribe to our newsletter – here At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Dijana vs Wiersma: The battle for Comrades Marathon glory
DURBAN - THERE was a moment during the elite athletes' pre race media conference of the Comrades Marathon at a beachfront hotel here on Thursday when Pie Wiersma and Tete Dijana exchanged glances and a smile flickered across both men's faces. The smiles were fleeting though, coming as they did immediately after Dijana had declared himself not being under any pressure but loudly saying' they have pressure'. He looked at Wiersma when he said that and the Dutchman clearly knew his adversary was playing mind games. For a significant part of the press conference, the two Nedbank Running Club athletes had not really looked at each other – although Dijana intermittently smiled when Wiersma spoke about his readiness and 'being in the best shape' of his life. Given the tough nature and the unpredictability of The Ultimate Human Race, it would be folly to think Sunday's 98th running of the world famous ultra marathon between the KwaZulu-Natal cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban would be a two-horse race. Far from it, for there are a few athletes capable of pulling off a victory. But there can be no denying that Dijana and Wiersma are going to be the main protagonists given what happened two years ago in the last Down Run – from Pietermaritzburg to Durban when Wiersma introduced himself to Comrades with a run so compellingly good he scared the living daylights out of holder and defending champion Dijnana. Wiersma finished runner-up by less than five seconds in one of the closest finishes in the race's history as Dijana broke the Down Run best time previously held by David Gatebe. Wiersma also ran under that 5:18:19 mark and was gutted to not have won. He made amends last year, albeit in the Up Run when he reigned supreme on an afternoon when Dijana had dizzy spells less and suffered wobbly legs to finish a distant 14th place. It appears the gloves are off this year, with Dijana eager to chalk up a rare hat-trick of Down Run victories while Wiersma will be out to do a back-to-back. The Dutchman was in high spirits yesterday as he reflected on how his training has gone out in Kenya which he has made his camp from last year despite having suffered an infection from drinking contaminated water. Previously a student and juggling running with his studies, Wiersma has since gone full time professional and says this has seen to a remarkable improvement in his running. He looks leaner and talks a good game: 'To me every year I am out there looking to do better and this year, training has been good. Last year I got an opportunity to become a professional runner and this has made a big difference. I feel that I am better, but there are never any guarantees, I can't say I will win.' But he definitely wants to, so much so that in addition to training like a madman he has been spending time watching videos of previous races. 'In a way I am a student (of the race),' he admitted. 'Two years ago when I first came here I did not know much about Comrades but last year and this year I did some homework and watched the past races. It is necessary to improve year to year and be the best I can be for every race. I trained to be at the best level I can be and this time my entire year has been very good.' Warnings to Dijana and the rest of the field don't come as ominous as that, do they? But the man from Mafikeng was unfazed by it all, Dijana playfully moving the microphone away from him to another Nedbank runner in Onalenna Khonkhobe, who typically took the bait and declared himself ready to smash the field. 'Sunday, I start with the gun. No matter (there is a) pacemaker or not, I am going up front. I am here to learn lots of things but in three years or four years time I will win Comrades back-to-back,' he said to loud applause. Dijana was not speaking in such bold terms but he flashed a knowing smile as he shared what his plans are for Sunday's race. 'I am so excited to come and fix what happened last year,' he said in reference to the bad run he had in the Up Run. 'I walked and watched the videos (of the race) at home and I heard one of the coaches telling his athletes 'Tete is walking'. But this year, I am not here to walk. And no, I don't have pressure, they have.' He flashed that toothpaste advert smile of his as he looked towards his far left where Wiersma sat. The battle lines have been drawn. Who will reign supreme? Dijana or Wiersma? Or will the winner come out of left field in the men's race?
IOL News
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Pretoria's Van Zyl ready to tackle Comrades debut despiten nerves and Down Run start
Irvette van Zyl. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Pretoria's favourite runner, Irvette Van Zyl, is excitedly looking forward to her Comrades Marathon debut, even though she would rather have started with the Up Run. Speaking during the elite runners' pre-race conference at a hotel on the Durban beachfront, the Hollywood Athletics Club star was in her usual high spirits, despite being on a table teeming with accomplished gold medallists of The Ultimate Human Race. Among them were her teammate and defending champion Gerda Steyn, former champion Alexandra Morozova, as well as Carlo Molinaro, Caitriona Jennings, Dominika Stelmach and Courtney Olsen – all of whom have previously finished in the top ten. It is not surprising, then, that the Olympian and multiple Soweto Marathon champion had a few butterflies in her stomach as she addressed the media. 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 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. Next Stay Close ✕ 'Yes, I am nervous,' Van Zyl said, before breaking into her trademark giggle. 'But I am looking forward to it because it's been on my to-do list for a long time. I think it is time now, and hopefully after Sunday I will still have the legs to come back and do the Up Run, because that was the actual plan – to start with the Up Run and not the Down Run. Ja, I am excited, but let's see what happens.' Van Zyl has been training on the race route in preparation for her debut, but she says she does not see that as giving her any more advantage than the others. 'Ja, I've only done one route-tester and I didn't even finish that one, because that day I only managed to do 45km when the plan was to do 52km. But I'm gonna run and finish on Sunday.' That much is expected of her, Van Zyl having proven herself as one of the country's best distance runners over many years. Her multiple victories in the gruelling Soweto Marathon suggest she has what it takes to tackle the 90km monster that is the Comrades. In any case, she has done ultras before – having previously held the world 50km record, and also performing well at the slightly longer 56km Two Oceans Marathon, where she once dipped under the previous record when she finished second to the phenomenal Gerda Steyn. The two are now teammates at Hollywood Athletics Club, who are expected to dominate the women's race, with Steyn once again the favourite to win the title of the KwaZulu-Natal ultra she loves so much.
