Durban - The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) has confirmed the top male and female contenders in this year’s 96th Comrades Marathon down run on Sunday, 11 June.
This year’s race is again a down run due the ongoing roadworks in and around Pietermaritzburg.
The association said all five runners from the Nedbank Running Club who forever changed the dynamics of racing the Comrades Marathon in 2022 are back for the 2023 Comrades Marathon.
“All five have prepared in much the same way as in 2022. The only difference is that the opposition is now forewarned. As they say in the classics - forewarned is forearmed,” said the CMA.
The CMA said in 2022, Onalenna Khonkhobe, the young runner from Klerksdorp, “bolted like a rabbit being chased by a lion from the start of the race; and would not stop until he ran out of steam 67km into the race.”
The association said Khonkobe was not only on record pace (5:18:19 – David Gatebe, 2016), but he was also on pace for an astounding sub-5-hour finish.
“While the experts knew that this relentless onslaught was not sustainable, it made for entertaining watching of the race, and also showed just what a class act Khonkobe is.”
It said, behind him, a pack of five men from Nedbank ran as a team, including Tete Dijana, Edward Mothibi, Dan Matshailwe, Johannes Makgetla and Joseph Manyedi.
“All five, as well as Khonkobe, were from the same training group in the North West. They had planned the race to the finest detail. Khonkobe would go out as the proverbial hare and set a blistering pace to keep the non-Nedbank runners guessing while the pack of five would remain together.”
The CMA said the plan worked, as all five finished in the top seven of the race with only three-time winner, Bongmusa Mthembu (4th) and Nkosikhona Mhlakwana (6th), splitting the top 7.
“The Nedbank team had come close to an unprecedented top five clean sweep and changed the face of the race forever.”
These are the top male 2023 Comrades Marathon contenders:
- Tete Dijana (Nedbank)– 1st, 2022
- Edward (Slender) Mothibi (Nedbank)– 2nd, 2022/ 1st, 2019
- Bongmusa Mthembu (Arthur Ford) – 4th, 2022
- Nkosikhona Mhlakwana (Hollywood Athletics Club) – 6th, 2022
- Dan Matshailwe (Nedbank) – 3rd, 2022
- Joseph Manyedi (Nedbank) – 7th, 2022
- Mahlomola Sekhonyana (Hollywood Athletics Club) – 4th, 2019
- Onalenna Khonkhobe (Nedbank)
These are the top female 2023 Comrades Marathon contenders:
- Gerda Steyn (Phantane Athletics Club)
- Ann Ashworth (Hollywood Athletics Club)
- Alexandra Morozova (Russia) 1st, 2022
- Dominika Stelmach (Poland) 2nd, 2022
- Adele Broodryk (Nedbank) 3rd, 2022
- Galaletsang Mekgoe (Nedbank) 5th, 2022
- Camille Herron (USA) 6th, 2022
- Caitriona Jennings (Ireland) 3rd, 2019