Comrades 2016: Going, going … Gono!

There was blood, sweat and cheers at this year's Comrades Marathon, which was a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Wayne Wridgway Reports.

June 2, 2016

Wayne Wridgway 2 minutes read

History maker: Wayne Wridgway cheers on Zwelitsha Tiger Gono, who became the first black athlete to complete 40 Comrades Marathons last Sunday.

THE Comrades Marathon of 2016 will go down as one of the most dramatic and exciting in recent history.

For a start, David Gatebe absolutely smashed the down run record by by more than two minutes.

In the women’s race, it was highly emotional as much-loved Caroline Wostmann’s body self destructed and she had to give way to the winner Chané Bosman, another South African, in the dying minutes of the women’s race.

What excited the local folk most was definitely South Coast Strider Michael Mzobe as he graced TV screens while out in the lead of this great race, which turned out to be the fastest recorded time in history.

Michael’s intention was to do exactly what he did – his aim was to lead the Comrades in South Coast Striders’ colours and then terminate his race after 30km.

His training before Comrades would not allow him to go any further as he is a 21km specialist and his record in this discipline proves it as he takes almost every title in the races he enters.

Fame, for a while: Michael Mzobe, a half-marathon specialist, led the race (in the colours of the South Coast Striders) for a while, before deliberately quitting at the 30km mark. PHOTO BY HANNAH WRIDGWAY

One very special athlete who slipped through almost undetected was the ultimate hero, Zwelitsha Tiger Gono.

He, at the age of 62, is the first black athlete to complete 40 Comrades, his first being in 1973.

The Comrades Marathon Association lauded him for this outstanding achievement and Bruce Fordyce handed him his quadruple number.

Tiger’s story is particularly special as he was not originally recognised as a finisher for his first two Comrades due to the apartheid era.

This was rectified at a later date and his runs were acknowledged by the CMA.

This special man will always be known for his grit and determination and above all for his fantastic attitude to life.

His smile throughout the race proves this. He made the 2016 Comrades very special.

A total of 59 South Coast Striders lined up at the start.

There were 49 finishers, with 10 runners who did not finish. A further 12 did not start due to injuries etc.

Striders can however still boast one silver medal, obtained by Mthokozisi Innocent Cele in a time of 7:24:20 plus six Bill Rowan medals (7 and-a-half to 9 hours), 25 bronze medals (9 to 11 hours) and 17 Vic Clapham medals (11 to 12 hours).

Well done to each Strider who took part. You dug deep, persevered and overcame to complete the most incredible race of your lives.

Striders will be having a post-Comrades party at the clubhouse on Wednesday, June 8 at 6pm.

RESULTS

SILVER

Mthokozisi Cele 07:24:20

BILL ROWAN

Mavela Nyembezi 07:30:04

Goodman Nqayi 07:32:42

Maxwell Mpiti 08:04:15

Scelo Shusha 08:11:37

Brother Moyo 08:24:48

Siphiwe Jula 08:25:48