The Running Mann

26th July 202626th July 2026

KZNA Blinks First in Comrades Chicken Run

KwaZulu Natal Athletics (KZNA) decided to play a game of chicken with the Comrades Marathon and, just before impact, KZNA have realized that they are riding a bicycle and Comrades is about to hit them with a bus.

A day after the final hearing on the urgent interdict that the Comrades Members Association (CMA) raised against KZNA’s “locals only” edict, KZNA finally appeared to acquiesce with a conciliatory press release headed “KZNA Supports the Comrades Marathon and Requests Urgent Independent Mediation”.

21st July 202621st July 2026

Why the Comrades Marathon will go ahead (with or without ASA)

There is a big difference between a rule and a law. A law is a formally enacted rule made by a government that is enforceable by the legal system. A rule is a guideline or requirement set by a particular organization, group, event or authority. A simple way to look at it is that all laws are rules, but not all rules are laws.

If there is ever a battle between a rule and a law, the law wins. Always.

20th July 202620th July 2026

🔍 KZNA Governance Under Steve Mkasi — Investigative Report

Report Compiled via Hermes Agent. Whilst every effort has been made to check facts, artificial intelligence sometimes makes errors that might not have been picked up in the report.

1. Executive Summary

Steve Mkasi was re-elected as President of KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA) on 14 June 2025 with 36 of 95 votes (37.9%) — a plurality in a 5-way split. 62% of voting clubs voted against him. His tenure has been marked by:

Three High Court defeats on a “locals only” CMA membership ruling
Approximately R500,000 in legal expenditure without council approval
An unpaid R386,000 costs order from 2015 against Phuma AC, the club he co-founded and controlled
Multiple threats to cancel the Comrades Marathon
A final High Court hearing scheduled for 22 July 2026 that could bankrupt KZNA
A physical altercation with an athlete on 13 July 2026
A documented pattern of workplace intimidation spanning two prior employers, including an assault charge, three misconduct charges, and a resignation ahead of a disciplinary hearing

18th July 202618th July 2026

Steve Mkasi threatens to “shoot” child in street fight

Here’s a second video of Steve Mkasi hunting down and getting ready to assault Best of the Best race director Sphephelo Ndlovu. The footage was taken shortly before the widely circulated video of Mkasi and Ndlovu rolling around on the street. Once again, the video quality is very poor. This is understandable because the cameraman is a 14-year-old kid whom Mkasi has just threatened, telling him, “If you take a video I’ll shoot you.”

13th July 202613th July 2026

KZNA Launches Fight Club: Steve Mkasi stalks and assaults athlete over Facebook comment

The only thing that surprises me these days about South African athletics officials is that they continue to surprise me. The below video appears to be KZNA president Steve Mkasi in a street fight with a young Ama Ravens AC athlete and organiser of The Best of the Best Marathon, Sphephelo Ndlovu, on Saturday evening.

10th July 202610th July 2026

Steve Mkasi keeps shooting blanks (KZNA’s latest threat to “Cancel Comrades”)

Earlier this week, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) received a cease-and-desist letter from KZNA courtesy of Deneys attorneys. This is not a cheap exercise and would cost KZNA an estimated R5,000 (excluding VAT). This is money that is being spent on frivolous legal ego trips rather than the athletes that KZNA are supposed to represent.

Steve Mkasi, president of KZNA, has already spent (most would say wasted) in the region of R500,000 on another seemingly fruitless legal venture when he tried to enact a “locals only” CMA Membership ruling as part of his apparent attempts to capture Comrades in 2024. Mkasi and KZNA have already been given three High Court smackdowns relating to this matter and the final hearing is due to be heard on 22 July and the ruling should follow shortly thereafter. It is quite likely that a costs order will be granted against KZNA which would possibly bankrupt them.

7th July 20267th July 2026

A Comrades Dad Masterclass: How to get your Daughter to run up Polly Shortts

There were lots of great supporter signs along the Comrades route but the one below held by this young lady in the Kloof area was my favourite. In fact, it was the only sign I took a picture of during the race. I thanked her and departed with the profound, “Cool daughters run Comrades when they are older!”

24th June 202625th June 2026

Get your coaching accreditation from a convicted rapist (brought to you by Athletics Free State)

Steven Swarts was convicted of raping one of his female athletes while giving her a “deep tissue massage”. The incident occurred in 2018 and the female athlete was 21 at the time.

At his trial Swarts pled guilty to rape and sexual assault. He signed his conviction papers on 5 March 2020 but was able to escape jail time with the Bloemfontein Court sentencing him, “In terms of section 276 (1) (b) of act 51 of 1977 as amended, the accused is sentenced to 5 years imprisonment, which imprisonment is suspended for a period of 5 years on condition that the accused is not during the time of suspension convicted of contravention of section 3 of the Criminal Law Amendment act 32 of 2007 (sexual offences and related matters).”

20th June 202620th June 2026

Getting Fresh with Luc Quevauvilliers on the Comrades Route

I (quite literally) caught up with Luc Quevauvilliers, the “man in a can”, along the Comrades route. I’d written about Luc’s exploits after the 2025 event where he ran large sections of the Comrades route dressed up in a Rexona deodorant fancy dress outfit. This year Luc was in for the full canned hunting experience and ran the entire race in his remodelled Rexona outfit with trimmings and improvements for comfort and durability.

When I spoke to him afterwards he proudly told me, “Yes, I ran 100% of this year’s race in the Rexona outfit!” I didn’t want to open a can of worms and ask about toilet breaks but Luc happily volunteered, “Even when I peed, I was happy to realise I just could aim carefully and make sure I kept the outfit smelling good.”

12th June 202612th June 2026

For over 50 years there’s been just one constant at the Comrades start line: Dave Williams

Many tears are shed during an ultra marathon. Many tears are shed after an ultra marathon. However, Comrades is the only race that is able to open the waterworks before the starting gun even fires.

Dave Williams has been there to hear it all. From Max Trimborn’s iconic rooster crow (including the last time he performed it live in 1980) to the introduction of Chariots of Fire in 1985 to the addition of the National Anthem as democracy dawned in 1994 to the spontaneous eruption of Shosholoza the following year.

On June 14 we’ll get to hear Max Trimborn’s recorded rooster crow, the emotional strings of Chariots of Fire, the pride of Nkosi Sikelel’ iAfrika and the rousing chorus of Shosholoza. A lot of things have been added to the Comrades start over the years but one thing will be missing from the Comrades start line for the first time in over 50 years… Dave Williams.