Oldest Comrades finisher, 81, already eyeing next running events

On Tuesday afternoon, around 48 hours after he’d made history by becoming the Comrades marathon’s oldest finisher, Johannes Mosehla was still “a little sore” in the legs, but otherwise “alright”.

The softly-spoken 81-year-old from Polokwane, who completed his 10th Comrades in Durban on Sunday, after taking on the gruelling 87.7km distance from Pietermaritzburg, has crept into the hearts of South Africans and road running fans.

Mosehla’s time of 9.26,10 earned him a Robert Mtshali medal, while he also became the oldest finisher of the ultra-marathon, bettering the age of 80, when Wally Hayward completed the race in 1989.

‘Got difficult’

“My body is alright … it’s just my legs that are a bit sore,” said Mosehla on Tuesday afternoon.

“I started the race well and ran strongly up until Drummond (halfway), but then it got difficult. The last part, just before going into Durban, was the hardest … I walked a lot, but I made it.”

Mosehla started running in 1963 in his early school days and in 1967 he was the champion distance runner of his senior primary school.

“And then in 1971 in high school I was the district champion,” explained Mosehla.

“I ran my first marathon in 1974, and then after a number of problems I retired from running in 1983.”
But that would not be the last of Mosehla’s running career. He would return to the road a full 20 years later, and in 2005 entered his first Comrades, which he didn’t finish.

In 2006 he entered again and ran a time of 8.19,43.

‘Favourite course’

“In 2007 I recorded my best ever run, a time of 7.57. That was my best Comrades,” said Mosehla.

The 81-year-old did nine more Comrades runs, including this last Sunday’s and he is ready for more.

In early July he will run the Knysna Forest half marathon before taking on his home town’s Foskor half marathon in Polokwane at the end of the month. Then, in October, he will head to his “favourite course” — the Cape Town marathon.

So, what does Mosehla want society to take from his running feats at the age of 81?

“Older people must not look at the number of the year, but rather be controlled by the body. If you are strong and feel good, you must keep going.”

Mosehla was one of 14,896 finishers of the Comrades on Sunday, from 16,072 starters. This year’s race had a 92.68% finish rate, which is the highest ever in the race’s 102-year history.

NOW READ: Gerda Steyn has become a living legend of ultra-distance running