Comrades runners share stories of resilience, heartbreak and personal triumph

For first-time Comrades runner, University of Pretoria (UP) master’s student Qiniso Sithole, crossing the finish line was an emotional moment that left him in tears.

Sithole completed Sunday’s Comrades Marathon in 9:34:11, finishing 4,993rd after starting in Group 1, F batch.

Reflecting on the achievement, he said finishing the world’s biggest ultramarathon was a testament to the person he has become through months of training and sacrifice.

Sunday marks the 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon. The gruelling 85.777km ultramarathon started in Durban and will finish at the Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg. Participants have a 12-hour limit to complete the race. This is the 50th “Up Run”. This is a developing story TimesLIVE

“I think it speaks to the person I am. It speaks to the person I developed when I initially started the training block until race day. Being able to finish Comrades and run such a good time on my first attempt during an up-run feels like a true testament to the resilience, courage and determination that I have.”

The final-year Master of Science in agriculture plant pathology student almost didn’t manage to register for the 2026 academic year because of the fees that had piled up during his studies since he arrived at UP in 2024.

He then participated in the marathon as one of nine fundraising champions for UP’s Degrees Delivered campaign, an initiative aimed at helping graduates clear historical student debt and access their degree certificates.

“For me, finishing the race felt like I was able to represent the cause and the campaign for what it’s supposed to represent, because it’s supposed to represent also the students being resilient and holding on through hardships,” he said.

“I am glad I did this for my peers. It was worth it.”

The race was not without challenges. He described the race as much harder than he expected.

Sithole admitted there were several moments when he thought about giving up, particularly after reaching Inchanga (a famous, gruelling climb and a designated official spectator point along the Comrades Marathon route), about 50km into the race.

Story audio is generated using AI For University of Pretoria (UP) Master’s student Qiniso Sithole, Sunday’s Comrades Marathon is about more than conquering the 85,77km race distance between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The final year Master’s of science in agriculture pllant pathology student almost didn’t manage to register for the 2026 academic year because of the fees that had piled up during his studies since he arrived at UP in 2024. “My mother has never had a stable job and my family was not able to assist because they don’t work at jobs that pay well enough to assist with my fees. “When the year began, I was in deep distress because of historical debt.” He said he owed R53,000 before receiving assistance from the department of research and innovation at the university. “The university came through for me when they helped out with paying half my debt. In that way I was able to register,” he said. “It brought so much peace and positivity in me.” He will line up for the world’s oldest and largest ultra marathon as one of nine fundraising champions for UP’s Degrees Delivered campaign, an initiative aimed at helping graduates clear historical student debt and access their degree certificates. “Having been on this journey, I want to help other people facing similar challenges,” Sithole said. His message to people facing financial difficulties comes from lived experience. “Hold on to your reasons why you are doing what you are doing. Pray about the challenges. Sometimes, when in doubt, prayer is the only thing that gets you through.” Growing up, Sithole was a short-distance runner and often dreamed of one day taking part in the Comrades Marathon. At university, he was introduced to cross-country and longer road races. To think I’m lining up this coming Sunday is such a dream come true moment. It’s a testament to resilience, courage and determination Encouragement from those around him eventually convinced him to enter. “To think I’m lining up this coming Sunday is such a dream come true moment. It’s a testament to resilience, courage and determination.” He has experienced moments of doubt during training. “Some runs felt heavy and difficult, a tired body and sometimes thoughts about injuries,” he said. “Training meant early mornings, afternoon sessions and often running alone.” His weekly routine includes time trials with Tuks Athletics (country club at the university), long runs, grass sessions and social runs, though most of his preparation was done solo. After completing his Master’s degree, Sithole hopes to work in the industry, though he has not ruled out pursuing a PhD and becoming a lecturer. Health spokesperson has come a long way While Sithole is running to prove adversity can be overcome, recently appointed Gauteng health department spokesperson Steve Mabona will be chasing a different kind of victory. Mabona’s fitness journey began after a health scare in 2009. He shared with TimesLIVE that he weighed 142kg and had a heart attack scare when the doctors told him his body mass index was not appropriate for his height. He said it was scary to hear his heart was surrounded by fat. “It was an eye-opener and God gave me a second chance because the doctor was surprised I survived. I had to also stop alcohol consumption, which I think was getting out of hand. I went straight to the gym.” Mabona said he consumed alcohol six days a week, including beer, wine and gin. “It was excessive. I had to stop. Thank God I didn’t have family back then. I was single and I didn’t have to worry about a loved one.” He began his weight loss journey in 2009. He was able to reduce his weight to 83kg within six months. Today he has maintained a healthy weight and his diet has fewer carbohydrates, less dairy and reduced alcohol consumption. “Changing my lifestyle definitely changed my life. It was hard but I had to adapt. You become healthier, which makes things better in how you lead your life,” he said. Mabona’s Comrades journey began when a friend, Mike Matlala, recruited him to Zwakala Athletic Club in 2011 and encouraged him to tackle the race the nextg year. He later participated in many popular races. However, In June 2025 he picked up weight and was 98kg. This pushed him to participate in marathons that allowed him to shed weight. Between 2012 and 2026, he has finished events from short races to half-marathons and ultras. He’s completed well-known events including Loskop, Om die Dam and the Two Oceans marathon. After failing to finish last year’s Comrades, he believes this year’s preparation has put him in a stronger position. Balancing training with a demanding job requires discipline. My work is hectic with a lot of pressure. You need discipline, commitment and dedication to do this He is focusing on strength and cross-training, including cycling. He trains four days a week, rests on Fridays, and does long runs on Saturdays, covering more than 50km weekly. “Balancing training with a demanding job requires discipline. My work is hectic with a lot of pressure. You need discipline, commitment and dedication to do this,” said Mabona. “You must run in your training, whether it is short, long, speed or intervals,” he said. “I’m currently at 83kg and I am convinced I will finish better.” He’s finding motivation from his professional life, saying: “As a health department spokesperson, I must be healthy to promote it.” He advised South Africans who are going through a weight loss journey to take their health seriously. “We need to be healthy. Let us do something — walk, run, anything active — and watch what we consume.” Test of faith and endurance for mom of three For Belinda Mhlongo, who is deputy head in the office of the Speaker at eThekwini municipality and a woman’s leader at her church, the marathon is as much a test of faith as it is of endurance. The mother of three from Umlazi recalled the moment during last year’s race when she thought her dream was over. At around the 70km mark, running with her friend and training partner Silo Mhlongo, every part of their bodies hurt and the official 12-hour cut-off bus was closing in behind them. “I asked Silo to go and leave me. I was finished physically and mentally.” But they both pushed through to complete the race. Mhlongo is eager to participate in her second Comrades. She is inspired by the adrenaline she felt, and “the sense of accomplishment I experienced at the finish line”. “I’m still amazed at the power of the mind over body.” Mhlongo said this year’s preparation has been different because she knows what to expect. “This year is an ‘up run’, which requires extra strength training and very strong muscles such as gluts, hamstrings and calves,” she said. “Training has been more structured, with greater attention to nutrition, recovery and supplements such as magnesium and electrolytes.” Her church recently held a special event for Comrades runners, with friends and congregants sending messages of encouragement and scripture. “The support is so humbling. I know as we run on Sunday, they’ll be carrying us through prayer. “When crossing the finish line, I know exactly who I will be thinking of. My late husband, who was my first cheerleader. I know he would have really been proud of my achievement,” she said. “My husband suffered from severe back pain so when I ran he would cycle.” No-one ever wakes up and they’re already a marathoner. Everyone starts somewhere Mhlongo’s husband died in 2021 from Covid-19 complications. “It was a hard pill to swallow but you learn to live with the pain and soldier on,” she said. She shared that the loss of losing a loved one instantly makes you lose your identity. “It’s crazy how things change. You go from being a wife and mother to being a widow and both a mother and a father. The people you associated yourself with when you were a wife change. You go back to finding your single friends to belong,” said Mhlongo. She said running has transformed her life in a positive way. “It has made me more resilient, stronger, given me purpose, taught me to appreciate the gift of life and brought back my self-confidence. “No-one ever wakes up and they’re already a marathoner. Everyone starts somewhere.” TimesLIVE

He said at some point he wanted to give up. He felt like asking himself why he was even taking part. “What kept me going, however, was the support I received from family, friends and spectators lining the route.

“I had people cheering for me on the side of the road and waiting for me at the finish line,” said Sithole.

He said that as much as he expected difficulties, it was brutal. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done in my entire life. It is traumatic. It’s hectic and it’s hard.

“The hills are brutal. You climb and climb and climb. At some points you have to walk because they are unrunnable.”

He said Inchanga and Polly Shorts proved to be the most difficult parts of the route.

“The most difficult moment of the day was when we reached Inchanga. Your legs are already starting to feel the pain, and the hill is long and hard.

“But the hardest part of the course was climbing Polly Shorts. I literally walked from the start of Polly Shorts all the way up. Whether you walk or run, you still feel it. It is just brutal,” he said.

He said when he crossed the finish line, he cried.

“I’m not sure exactly why I was crying, but I think it was because it felt like such a big achievement.

“It felt like, wow, you did this. You managed to finish a race that is so difficult. You could have quit anywhere during the race, but you managed to finish. It felt like achievement and fulfilment,” he said.

The runner credited God, family, friends and fellow runners for helping him reach the finish line.

“Firstly, I’d like to give all the thanks and glory to God. Without him carrying me from training season until race day, it would not have been possible,” he said.

“At some point on the race course I was literally shouting to God, saying, ‘You need to come through for me now.’

“My mom prayed for me, my family prayed for me and my friends kept calling me.”

For Steve Mabona, Sunday’s race was a milestone achievement as he earned his ninth Comrades medal and recorded a personal best.

Mabona completed the race in 10:25:13 after starting in Group 1, Batch F, earning a bronze medal.

“This is my ninth medal, which means a lot to me because it’s a personal best. In all my eight previous finishes, this is the first time I’ve clocked under 11 hours,” said Mabona.

The Gauteng health spokesperson described the moment he crossed the finish line as surreal.

“I couldn’t comprehend the excitement and emotions I was going through,” he said.

“I put a lot of work into training for this one. The fact that I didn’t finish in 2025 encouraged me to push even when things got tough on the road.

“It was also exciting arriving with the sun shining. I even got a flower and felt like a winner. In previous finishes I arrived under floodlights because it was dark,” he said.

Mabona described the Comrades as never easy, no matter how experienced a runner is.

He found Polly Shorts particularly challenging.

“Polly Shorts is the last hill that troubles almost all of us during an up run,” he said.

“I had to negotiate it by running and walking from halfway up to Inchanga. Then I recovered, got back to my pace and pushed.

“The Comrades Marathon can never be easy. Training is your ammunition for the fight. It also depends on how you feel when you wake up on race day,” he said.

At one stage, he found himself separated from a friend he had started the race with.

“In the initial stages I was running with a friend, but because I reduced my pace on a hill he probably felt I would delay him. He left me on Fields Hill.

“I told myself I would never be deterred. I trained and was well prepared to fight, so I decided I was running alone and I pushed,” he said.

Gerda Steyn ran another perfect race to claim the fifth Comrades crown of her career, crossing the line in 5hr 45min 02sec to beat her own best time for the up run. Steyn had company deep into the race in the form of Zimbabwean Nobukhosi Tshuma, but when she went with about 20km to go, she went alone. The 36-year-old Hollywood club star, the champion in 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025, flashed her trademark smile as she pushed towards the finish line at the Scottsville racecourse in Pietermaritzburg. Steyn was substantially faster than the 5:49:46 she clocked in the last up run in 2024. It also wasn’t far off her down run best time of 5:44:54. Tshuma gritted it out to finish second in a time of 5:53:36, and Irvette van Zyl, Steyn’s Hollywood teammate, was third in a time of 6:02:30.

Mabona said his journey is about promoting a healthy lifestyle and inspiring others.

“Even if people don’t aspire to run the Comrades Marathon, they can still participate in running on a lower scale and stay active.”

He thanked his family, coach Linda Hlophe, Zwakala Athletics Club members, Gauteng Health Athletics Club and fellow runners for supporting him throughout his journey.

He has already set his sights on the 2027 race.

“I will be going for my 10th medal at the 100th anniversary of the Comrades Marathon. It will be a big one for me,” he said.

While Sithole and Mabona celebrated their finishes, for Belinda Mhlongo, deputy head in the office of the speaker at the eThekwini municipality and a woman’s leader at her church, the race ended in disappointment.

Mhlongo was cut off at the 67km mark, just 19km short of the finish line. She reached the mark in nine hours 55 minutes after starting in Group 3.

Despite not finishing, the mother of three from Umlazi said she was proud of herself.

“It’s a combination of feelings. While I’m disappointed with myself, I’m also very proud for having pushed until 67km through all odds, including cramping and a runny tummy,” she said.

“I was able to conquer all four major hills of the race — Cowies Hill, Fields Hill, Botha’s Hill and Inchanga — and only had Polly Shorts left.

“Although I didn’t see the finish line, pushing through all the day’s hardships made me realise that I’m stronger than I give myself credit for. I am coming back much stronger next year.”

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