‘This year I am not here to walk’: Dijana out to fix mistakes in 2025 Comrades

Two-time Comrades marathon champion Tete Dijana says he is excited at the opportunity to rectify what happened in last year’s up run in this year's race on Sunday.

Dijana was speaking ahead of the 98th staging of the world’s oldest ultra-marathon on Thursday.

Sunday's down run starts at Pietermaritzburg City Hall and ends at the People's Park outside Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban.

Dijana said after last year’s race was marred by cramps that saw him walking to the end, he had watched videos on social media.

“When I was watching some of the videos, I heard one of the coaches telling their athletes, 'Tete is walking'. This year I am not here to walk,” he said.

Dijana is convinced no record will be broken on Sunday. The athlete, who runs in the green of the elite Nedbank Running Club that dominates Comrades and shares the North West as a home province with 2019 winner Edward Mothibi, said clinching top honours would encourage the youth of the province.

Dijana expressed gratitude to those who have rallied behind him to bounce back in the 2025 race. “I will dedicate my Comrades to those people who have supported me because last year I was really down.” 

2024 champion Dutchman Piet Wiersman is optimistic about his prospects of defending his title. As in 2024, he arrives fresh from a training camp at altitude in Kenya.

Mothibi made his first Comrades 2018 down run where he finished fourth. The next year he caused a stir by winning the up run at its Scottsville racecourse finish. This became a memorable feat for the Mahikeng-born athlete who overtook a three-time champion Bongumusa Mthembu for victory.

Mthembu, who runs for the Arthur Ford athletics club, was absent during Thursday's pre-marathon press briefing.

Mothibi, who also suffered a setback last year when placed 16th, said while he was left frustrated by that run, he remains as motivated as ever to replicate past results.

“Failure does not mean you cannot go back and do it again. Pressure will always be there, but you just have to be calm,” he said.

Another contender who hopes to do well in this year’s Comrades is 2025 Two Oceans champion Onalenna Khonkhobe. He said he plans to start this year's the race upfront.

“I am here to learn a lot from Comrades. But in three to four years I will win Comrades back-to-back because it is my show,” he said to applause.

Women's champion Gerda Steyn has done it all as winner of the 2019, 2023 and 2024 races, also holding the down (5 hrs 44 min 54 sec) and up (5:49:46) run records.

“I try to find a way to think about how I can be better than I was last year,” she said.

Steyn said coming into the race as defending champion comes with pressure.

“For me it’s about the way you process the word 'pressure'. Whenever I hear the word I see it as 'support'.

“Not really pressure, but it’s them [the public and her supporters] wanting me to succeed. Having the faith and belief in me that there is a chance in me succeeding in the race.

“I feel like we are athletes, but we are also entertainers. There is a little bit of tactics involved.

“It makes for great watching and it brings a bit of light into our sports and it's always something that I love when watching sports.”

Steyn says she knows the capabilities of her competitors very well.

Making her debut in the race is Irvette van Zyl, 37, of Hollywood Athletics Club, who said she is excited to fulfil something so high on her to-do list.

“I am nervous but I am looking forward to it. Maybe one day I will come back and do the down run because it was actually in my plans to start with the up run. I am excited and let’s see what happens,” she said.

Comrades board chair Mqondisi Ngcobo said in their preparations they reached out to Moses Mabhida Stadium to host the finish, but due to construction at the facility it was impossible.

He said in the past the association had taken flak from some athletes who complained about having to climb the stairs into the stadium after in a gruelling finish to the race.

“It is one of the things we paid attention to from our athletes when we got the feedback,” he said.