Mzansi's ultra marathon runner Tete Dijana defended his Comrades Marathon in style on Sunday by setting the fastest time for a down run. The SA flag continued to fly high in the women's race with pre-race favourite Gerda Steyn also setting a new record. Steyn beat the 34-year-long "down" run record of 5:54:43, reducing it by a whopping 10 minutes to 5:44:54. Meanwhile, the 2022 Comrades Marathon winner Tete Dijana successfully defended his title as he shattered the 2016 men's "down" record of 5:18:19, breaking a new record of 5:13:58. For the first time in the history of the Comrades Marathon, the top 10 runners in the men's race finished in just five and a half hours.

Source: The North Africa Journal June 11, 2023 20:15 UTC