Linda Ximba
Current champion Edward Mothibi is “raring to go” ahead of the return of the Comrades Marathon, which is back after a forced two-year break due to Covid-19.
Before the pandemic, Mothibi was working towards defending his title. Against all odds, he upset three-time winner Bongumusa Mthembu and favourites Nkosikhona Mahlakwana and David Gatebe in 2019.
Comrades is an 89 km race that’s run every year. One year it’s run uphill from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and the next it’s run downhill going the other way. Either up or down, you have to go through the Valley of a Thousand Hills.
Mahlakwana is coming on strong as evidenced by his second-place finish at the Two Oceans Marathon, while Gatebe is known as a down-run king having won the race from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in 2016.
Mothibi, who crossed the line in 5:31:33 and runs in the colours of elite Nedbank Running Club, told Scrolla.Africa he has been training on his own to prepare for the gruelling marathon.
“I’m raring to go. I’m in fine form. My coach Dave Adams has been pushing me and monitoring my progress,” said the man from Mafikeng in the North West.
He said the races he participated in will stand him in good stead when he takes to the road for the down run on Sunday. The race starts at the Pietermaritzburg Community Hall and ends at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.
The world famous 90km race attracts international enthusiasts to the country.
“Last year I went to the Cape Town Marathon where I finished 13th with a personal best time of 2:13:54. Early this year I won the JP Morgan Corporate Challenge 5.5km race in 17:13.
“I came third in 2:45:27 in the Nedbank Unified Breaking Barriers in March before winning the Fortress Reit Half Marathon in Rustenburg. It was a tough one as I competed against favourites like Lucky Mohale,” said Mothibi.
Both male and female winners will take home R260,000 while the top 10 in each category will receive R12,000 each.
