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The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
Glen Hills runner reflects on incredible Comrades achievement
THIS year's Comrades Marathon provided an incredible feat of history as Louis Massyn became the first athlete to complete 50 Comrades Marathon. However, a little known fact is that there was another runner in that field of 20 000 who was also on the start line for the 50th time. Glen Hills David Williams was aiming to complete his 43rd Comrades finish. The Savages Athletics Club member, who crossed the finish line with just 10 seconds to spare from the final 12-hour cut-off received a Vic Clapham. Also read: Dijana, Steyn win Comrades Marathon titles The 73-year-old now has one Silver, 32 Bronze and 10 Vic Clapham medals to his name. What must be celebrated though is Williams' drive and determination to get across the finish line. Of his last eight Comrades runs, he had six that did not finish, but not for want of trying. For this year's race, Williams had failed to qualify at three marathons and only qualified on the last Comrades qualifier, the Durban International Marathon. Again a testament to his fortitude and self-belief, it would also come to describe his finish at this year's 98th Comrades Marathon where he crossed the finish line bent over. 'It was the most unusual experience I've ever had. I was coming down from Tollgate Bridge and picking up speed. I was feeling good and began to accelerate down the hill. At some point as I entered the Durban CBD I had a strange sensation where my legs were going, but my body wasn't coming with me. I spotted the 12-hour bus in front of me and suddenly my body began leaning forward. I kept kicking litter bins placed on the side of the road because I couldn't see. Also read: Northlands Primary School learner praised for embodying Comrades spirit 'As you can imagine I was bent over, with a cap on, so my line of vision was distorted. The closer I got to the finish line the lower I was bent over. Despite the help from a DHS Oldies runner and volunteers at the Community Chest water table to help set me back straight again, my body kept keeling forward. As I got nearer the finish line, which I imagined was the finish line because I couldn't see anything, I kept hearing crowds shouting 'go', 'go' 'don't stop here'. I kept running bent over and at some point I remember Alain Dalais, the general manager of the Comrades Marathon Association and a race official holding on to my arms. I never heard the finish gun but I did hear the crowd countdown the final 10 seconds. I was worried that I hadn't made it,' he said. Williams then made his way to the finish pen where race officials scan runner's bibs to determine what medal would be given. 'In my head I felt I hadn't finished. However, the incredible thing was the minute I began walking I was able to stand upright again. The lady scanned my bib and Vic Clapham. I wanted to say 'I think you made a mistake' but I held on to my medal. I was so pleased but shocked at the same time,' he said. While he is yet to decide on next year's Up Run, Williams said he is targeting the 100th running of the Comrades Marathon in 2027. 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 Citizen
08-06-2025
- 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
08-06-2025
- 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
08-06-2025
- 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
06-06-2025
- 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?
