By Adnaan Mohamed
The 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon has all the ingredients of a classic.
Defending champions Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn return to lead a star-studded elite field on Sunday as 21,677 runners tackle the 85.777km Up Run from Durban City Hall to Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg.
With nearly all of last year’s top-10 finishers back on the start line and a record prize purse on offer, the race is poised to deliver another compelling chapter in the history of South Africa’s most iconic ultra-marathon.
The only absentee among the top 20 men and women from the 2025 race is women’s runner-up Alexandra Morozova, leaving an elite field packed with proven performers and ambitious challengers.
Race director Sue Forge expects another fiercely contested battle.
“All the signs are that this should be another thrilling race, not just in terms of proven gold medallists, but also with the addition of a number of very fast marathoners and ultra-marathoners from both South Africa and abroad, including world-class 100km competitors. We’re looking forward to seeing who claims the podium spots and a share of the biggest prize purse in the history of the Comrades Marathon.”
The elite athletes will compete for a share of R8.21 million, including incentives and bonuses, with both the men’s and women’s winners earning R925,000.
“We have made sure that the top contenders in the 2026 edition of the Comrades Marathon have 8.2 million reasons to give everything they have on the route from Durban to Pietermaritzburg,” Forge said.
“This race has always produced world-class performances, and this considerable prize purse reflects the status of both the race and the elite field we have running this year.”
Dijana targets rare company
Dijana arrives as the man to beat.
The three-time champion claimed victories in 2022, 2023 and 2025, yet has never won an Up Run. A victory on Sunday would not only complete that collection, it would move him level with four-time winner Alan Robb and into a tie for third on the all-time men’s winners list.
Standing in his way is Dutch rival Piet Wiersma, winner of the most recent Up Run in 2024 and runner-up to Dijana in both 2023 and 2025.
Their rivalry has become one of the defining storylines of modern Comrades racing and could once again shape the outcome.
Three-time champion Bongmusa Mthembu also has history within reach. The veteran owns 11 gold medals and sits level with Bruce Fordyce on that list. Another gold medal would move him alongside Alan Robb with a record 12.
The men’s field is strengthened further by former winners Edward Mothibi and David Gatebe, while Nikolai Volkov, Joseph Manyedi, Alex Milne, Gordon Lesetedi and Vasilii Korytkin all return after gold-medal performances in 2025.
Several newcomers add intrigue.
South African hopeful George Kusche has attracted considerable support after finishing 12th last year, while Onalenna Khonkhobe’s impressive performances over the past 12 months have elevated him into podium discussions.
Internationally, much attention will focus on World 100km champion Aleksandr Sorokin, American record-holder Charles Lawrence and French 100km specialist Guillaume Ruel.
Steyn eyes fifth crown
If Dijana is chasing history, Steyn is pursuing legacy.
The South African star has dominated women’s ultra-distance running in recent years and arrives full of confidence after securing a seventh consecutive Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon title.
Having won Comrades in 2019, 2023, 2024 and 2025, Steyn stands one victory away from becoming only the second woman in history to reach five wins.
Only eight-time champion Elena Nurgalieva has won more.
Yet the women’s race appears deeper than ever.
Kenyan Shelmith Muriuki impressed with third place on debut last year and is widely viewed as a serious contender. Irvette van Zyl enters the race after breaking the Loskop 50km course record, while Dominika Stelmach, Carla Molinaro, Caitriona Jennings, Courtney Olsen, Jenet Mbhele and Melissah Gibson all return after earning gold medals in 2025.
Adele Broodryk’s return adds further quality after she missed last year’s race, while Galaletsang Mekgoe and Jenna Challenor will be eager to force their way back into the gold-medal positions.
Zimbabwean debutant Nobukhosi Tshuma is another athlete generating interest after finishing third at this year’s Two Oceans Marathon.
Strongest field in years
The elite men’s field consists of 97 athletes, while 34 women have earned elite status.
Together they form one of the strongest line-ups assembled for the race in recent years.
For Dijana and Steyn, Sunday offers an opportunity to strengthen already impressive legacies. For the chasing pack, it presents a chance to alter the narrative.
By late afternoon in Pietermaritzburg, the 99th Comrades Marathon will have produced new heroes, fresh storylines and perhaps another piece of history on South Africa’s most famous road.