RUSTENBURG HERALD - DURBAN - South African superstars Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn further strengthened their status as two of the world's best ultra-distance runners as they emerged triumphant once again in the Comrades Marathon on Sunday, 8 June. Dijane, the winner in 2022 and 2023, crossed the line first in 5:25:28, while Steyn added a fourth win to her already impressive record as she took another convincing win in 5:51:19. This makes her only the second woman (after eight-time winner Elena Nurgalieva) to win the race more than three times.
For the North West Province - the 2025 Comrades was yet another unforgettable year with at least five athletes from the Platinum Province in the Top Ten - notably Tete Dijana (1st), Edward Mothibi (4th), Joseph Manyedi (5th), David Gatebe (7th) and Gordon Lesetedi (9th).
This was the 98th edition of the iconic ultra between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban, run in alternating directions each year, and this was the 49th edition of the Down Run. The official distance of this year’s race was 89.98km, and as the event builds up to its much-anticipated 100th edition in 2027, the 2025 race attracted a record field for the Down Run of 22,677 qualifying entrants.This prompted the Comrades Marathon Association’s decision to introduce the first ever split start in the event’s history, for safety reasons and to allow all runners in the field the opportunity to get over the start line quicker.
This saw Group 1 starting at 5:45am, and Group 2 setting off at 6:00am, as slightly later start than the traditional 5:30am start, in order for the runners to enjoy better light conditions in the early kilometres, notably on the descent of Polly Shorts hill. Both start groups still had 12 hours to finish the race. Another innovation in the 2025 race was a new street finish in Masabalala Yengwa Avenue, with a festive hospitality and club area next to the finish in People’s Park.
In the men's race, Onalenna Khonkhobe led for most of the race, but he was eventually caught with less than 20km to go. Dijane surged into the lead, but struggled to shake off the determined challenge of 2024 winner, Dutchman Piet Wiersma. The South African had to dig deep to maintain his small lead, and in a repeat finish of the 2023 race, Dijane took the win in 5:25:27, with Wiersma crossing the line in 5:25:32. “I came prepared and stuck to my race plan,” Dijana said afterwards. “In the last 10km, I saw Piet was closing, so I accelerated and opened the gap, and I felt like I was in control.”Nikolai Volkov produced a storming finish, chasing down a number of athletes in the closing stages of the race to grab third position in 5:29:41. Fourth was 2019 men’s winner, Edward Mothibi (5:31:40), while fifth place went to Joseph Manyedi (5:32:08). There were six South Africans in the top 10, including three of the top five.
Zambian athlete Elizabeth Mukoloma led the women's contest until shortly after the halfway mark, but once Steyn took the lead, she never looked back. Former winner Alexandra Morozova recovered from cramps and started closing the gap on Steyn in the second half, but the South African managed to draw clear again, finishing in 5:51:18, with Morozova nearly five minutes behind in 5:55:55. Kenyan athlete Shelmith Muriuki, making her Comrades debut, held on to take third position in 6:07:55.
The final Top Ten standings in the men's and ladies' divisions were as follows:
Men’s Top 10
1 - Tete Dijana 05:25:27
2 - Piet Wiersma 05:25:32
3 - Nikolai Volkov 05:29:41
4 - Edward Mothibi 05:31:40
5 - Joseph Manyedi 05:32:08
6 - Alex Milne 05:34:07
7 - David Gatebe 05:34:29
8 - Bongmusa Mthembu 05:35:47
9 - Gordon Lesetedi 05:36:21
10 - Vasilii Korytkin 05:38:58
Women’s Top 10
1 - Gerda Steyn 05:51:18
2 - Alexandra Morozova 05:55:55
3 - Shelmisth Muriuki 06:07:55
4 - Irvette Van Zyl 06:11:34
5 - Dominika Stelmach 06:12:01
6 - Carla Molinaro 06:13:02
7 - Jenet Mbhele 06:14:23
8 - Caitriona Jennings 06:16:41
9 - Courtney Olsen 06:17:47
10 - Melissah Gibson 06:19:58
