The Running Mann

6th July 20256th July 2025

Comrades 2025 Runner Stories: A 24 minute negative split for an 11:59:38 finish

One of the Comrades stats I am interested in every year is, “Who goes through Drummond the slowest and still earns a medal?”

There are usually just a handful of people who go through Drummond and cross the finish line under 12 hours and someone going through Drummond over 6h10 and earning a medal is a rarity. This year the distance from the Drummond timing mat to the finish meant that the second ‘half’ was 380m longer making a negative split an even more impressive feat.

3rd July 20253rd July 2025

Maretha & her medals (An outlier amongst Outliers)

Every now and again I get asked an interesting question that deserves its own article. In this case the asker was Maretha Smit and the question was, “Do you know who has the most Isavel Roche-Kelly medals? Introduced in 2019, the maximum possible is 5. I have 4.” But, before answering the question, I think we should take a look at how Maretha earned her medals…

Maretha was a good athlete at school specialising as a 100m sprinter. She played first team netball at Hoërskool Roodepoort and earned provincial colours for athletics. As her 21^st birthday approached, she had an unusual birthday present request – a half marathon entry. Her dad was happy to oblige – they travelled down to the Cape and ran the 2010 Two Oceans half marathon together finishing in 2:11:38 and, despite not being able to walk properly for two weeks afterwards, Maretha’s love of distance running was born.

Maretha (on the right in a blue shirt) finishes her first half marathon as her 21st birthday present of choice with her dad (on the left in the white shirt).

27th June 20251st July 2025

Another Day, Another Lawsuit

My articles seem to be producing a violent slow burn, delayed reaction amongst the miscreants in running administration. Toni Cavanagh took five months to respond to my article exposing her as a liar who inflated both her running pedigree and business experience. And now KZNA President Steve Mkasi, long accused of being ‘slow on the uptake’ by detractors, has decided that an article I wrote about him in November 2024 requires legal attention.

The article in question is “Time for Mkasi to “Pay Back the Money” to KZNA?” . Whilst the steel industry is suffering in South Africa, the irony industry is flourishing with Mkasi and his KZNA minions providing one of the richest veins to be mined.

19th June 202520th June 2025

Scents & Sensibility: Man in a can ran Comrades wearing 13kg deodorant outfit

Sometimes people make stupid bets when they’re drunk. Luc Quevauvilliers does not drink alcohol so he cannot fall back on that excuse. However, he still thought it would be a good idea to run Comrades dressed as a giant can of Shield deodorant. The suit weighed 13 kilograms. He only had one chance beforehand to do a short practice run. The second time he put the suit on was at the Comrades Expo. He hoped that Comrades race day would be third time lucky. People should stop blaming alcohol when men make stupid decisions…

There was however an excellent reason behind this madness: An R80,000 donation to the SANParks Honorary Rangers (one of the official Comrades charities). Luc explained that his reason for supporting this charity is, “SANParks look after 19 national parks including Kruger National Park and Table Mountain National Park, who with the help of charity donations are able to bridge the gaps in funding for important conservation efforts. I love our country and all the incredible wildlife and natural beauty we have, so donating to them is essential to help keep our amazing wildlife well looked after for generations to come.”

Actual photo of the moment Luc jumped at the opportunity run Comrades as a can of deodorant to secure a R80,000 donation for SANParks.

17th June 202517th June 2025

From Gunshot to Glory: Prince’s Brave Comrades Journey

On a Tuesday evening in Ivory Park, Tembisa just two weeks before Comrades, aspirant novice runner Prince Ṋemuṱanzhela was relaxing with his family at home. Comrades training is hard work and Prince had trained hard. It was now time to taper and get the body and mind ready for a first journey between Pietermaritzburg and Durban.

Prince was chatting to a friend while his wife Asnath was getting their two young children, a 12-year-old son and 4-year-old-daughter, ready for bed. Their eldest, a 19-year-old daughter, was also in the house. The relaxed atmosphere was shattered when two men with guns burst into the living room and started making demands.

Prince and his friend froze in shock and the armed robbers responded by shooting both men. Prince was shot through the right arm. He was lucky, the bullet went through his arm missing bone and arteries. His friend was not so lucky and was killed.

7th June 2025

Not your average grandmom (the Malie van der Walt story)

The history of the Comrades Marathon is full of unlikely legends. No one who knew Malie van der Walt growing up thought that she’d ever run Comrades one day, let alone be lining up for her 30^th medal in 2025. As a youngster she showed no inclination for athletics of any kind and was not able to participate in sport at school as she suffered from rheumatic fever which affected her heart.

6th June 2025

The Stellar Stella Ladies (Gina Hinchliffe & Helen Mann)

When it comes to the females with the most Comrades medals, there is one club that completely dominates with four names on the Top 10 list: Stella Athletics Club. What is even more incredible is that there are currently just nine women who’ve run 30 or more Comrades. Two of our Stella Four, Pat Fisher and Pat Freeman, have already notched up their Triple Greens whilst the other two, Gina Hinchliffe and Helen Mann, will be aiming to add a third laurel to their impressive Comrades records this Sunday. This article focuses on the two ladies who will be lining up in Pietermaritzburg on 29 not out.

Funnily enough, both Gina and Helen have been on my radar – together with their other halves Shane and Garry – on the list of husbands and wives with the most Comrades medals. The two couples have a combined total of 123 medals which should increase to 127 this weekend. The Hinchliffes (with 61) are also just behind the Margolins (with 62) on the most married medals at Two Oceans list.

The Hinchlliffes and the Menn: 123 Comrades medals in one photo

5th June 202514th June 2025

Comrades 2025: Startline Stats

NOTE: I will be adding additional statistics to this article on a daily basis up to the Sunday 8 June.

Average Age

The average age of the class of 2025 is 44.5 – exactly the same as in 2024. Therefore, this is the joint oldest group of starters at any Comrades Marathon where age records exist. The average age of the Comrades runner has steadily increased since 1990 from 35 to over 44 post-Covid. This is going to be a problem for the future of the race if the trend continues.

3rd June 20253rd June 2025

True Comrades Heroes: Why Warren wears a blue tutu

Warren Jordaan is a gregarious character on the Free State roads and easily noticeable with his distinctive dreadlocks and bright orange and green Kroonstad Running Club kit. I was recently in the ‘States’ to run the Lemo Mall Marathon and noticed that he was accessorising his regular running kit with a blue tutu and asked him “Why?”. It is a sad but inspirational story.

Warren and his blue tutu at the Lemo Mall Marathon in Bloemfontein

29th May 202529th May 2025

Paws for a Cause: Kevin Balfour’s Camino Canine Caper

One of the silver linings that has come with covering the various Two Oceans issues and dramas is getting to meet and chat with many fellow Blue Numbers. One of these was Kevin Balfour who completed his 13^th Oceans voyage this year.

After last year’s Two Oceans, Kevin and his partner popped over to Portugal to walk the Camino trail. He reminisced, “We loved the whole experience – the local people, the friendship of fellow walkers, the natural beauty and quaint towns along the route.” Everything was perfect but Kevin realised that there was an improvement opportunity – to come back and run it!