Outeniqua Harriers athlete Louis Massyn has made history by becoming the first runner to complete 50 Comrades Marathons.

According to Oudtshoorn Courant, the 74-year-old completed his first Comrades in 1973.

Massyn left Pietermaritzburg City Hall at 06:00 with a special starting batch, including 50 friends from overseas and locally.

His personal best time is 6:25, and he has earned 10 silver medals in the race.

In addition to the Comrades, Massyn has completed the Two Oceans Marathon 46 times, a feat that includes a remarkable 10th-place finish in 1985 with a time of 3:57:30.

He is the only athlete to have run both ultra-marathons 40 times, earning him a spot in the exclusive 40 Club.