North Coast runners delivered a superb showing at the 2026 Comrades Marathon, earning seven silver medals and recording a remarkable 94% finish rate in Sunday’s gruelling up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.

Athletes from Dolphin Coast Striders, Tongaat Panthers, Mandeni Harriers and Thandolwethu Athletic Club were among the more than 21 000 runners who tackled the 89km route. Of the 156 starters from the four clubs, only 10 failed to finish within the 12-hour cut-off.

Leading the local charge was Tongaat’s Elston Naicker, who produced a superb run of 6:18:38 while representing Nedbank Running Club KZN. The performance earned him his fourth silver medal and 98th place overall, narrowly missing his personal best by less than three minutes.

“After last year’s DNF, crossing that finish line meant something deeper,” said Naicker.

“This one wasn’t about perfection – it was about getting back up. Lessons, pain, and progress all in one day,” he said.

For the second-year running, Dolphin Coast Striders’ Mhlengi Khowane emerged as the strongest performer among the four North Coast clubs. His time of 6:28:23 secured 126th place overall and a third consecutive silver medal.

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The result was particularly satisfying given the challenges he faced during the race.

“It wasn’t a dream race for me. I was hoping for a better time after all the training and effort, but I suffered severe pain in my side and struggled to breathe. That’s the nature of the beast – it breaks you down and makes you stronger,” said Khowane, who is known for his unconventional training methods, including beach runs in gumboots.

Dolphin Coast Striders captain Nic Acampora celebrated a personal best of 6:29:23, while teammate Aron Mahlangu crossed the line in 6:37:07. Mandeni Harriers stalwart Jabulani Mabaso added another chapter to his remarkable Comrades story, claiming his 23rd silver medal with a time of 7:03:19.

READ MORE: Nearly 140 Dolphin Coast Striders ready for Comrades challenge this weekend | North Coast Courier

Richard Cohen, Sakhile Mthembu and Sphiwe Dube completed the local silver-medal contingent.
In the women’s race, Tess Blignaut produced a personal best of 8:46:31 to finish 248th overall, while Tracy Joubert (8:53:35) and Claudia Sauls (8:53:45) also earned Bill Rowan medals.

There were also significant milestones to celebrate. Former gold medallist Colin Goosen completed his 44th Comrades, Sibusiso Jali reached 20 finishes, and Tyrone Pullen, Jean Mackinnon and Brad Gillis earned coveted Green Numbers for completing their 10th races.

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Tongaat Panthers’ Devandran Reddy was the club’s leading finisher in 9:26:32 during his 25th Comrades, while Thandolwethu Athletic Club’s Sthembiso Dladla completed the race in 9:31:07.

For all 2026 Comrades Marathon results, click HERE.