A Green Number that’s lain dormant for three decades, a lockdown lawnmower loop and proof that “never again” is just Comrades-speak for “ask me again tomorrow”.
There are comebacks, and then there are Comrades comebacks. Missing a year or two because of injury, life or a sudden outbreak of common sense is understandable. A decade away from the Ultimate Human Race will earn you a few raised eyebrows and a respectful nod. But returning to Comrades after 31 years, at the age of 72 years and 11 months, is the sort of thing that makes even the most battle-hardened Green Number stop mid-war story and ask, “What took you so long to return?”
Miller Langenhoven, Comrades Green Number 8277, did exactly that at the 2026 Comrades Marathon. Before race day his wife Alta contacted me to ask where he ranked amongst the oldest runners (the answer was that he was the 32nd oldest man in the field). When I learned that Miller last ran in a Yellow Number 31 years ago, I expressed astonishment. Alta on the other hand expressed pride, “I take off my hat to all the people running Comrades. I still can’t believe why they are doing that! For Miller after 31 years ??? But I am very excited for him. Let’s hope for a good finish.”
I thought I’d done well to resist the “one in your Green Number” scam for 7 years but 31 years may just be a record. By the end of the day on 14 June, Miller had his 11th medal in the bag and finished sixth in the 70+ age category with a solid 10:24:53. Not bad for someone whose previous Comrades finish came when most of this year’s field were still learning to tie their school shoes.
READ MORE: It’s 100% my wife’s fault! (How I fell for the ‘One in your Green Number’ scam)
From George to Green Number
Miller was born in George, matriculated in Oudtshoorn and later moved to Gauteng, where he now lives on a one-hectare plot in Centurion. His running journey started in 1985 after a co-worker convinced him to join Ndaba Athletic Club. One year later, he ran his first Comrades. He didn’t mess about: By 1995 Miller had completed 10 consecutive Comrades Marathons and earned his Green Number.
Those early running years also included one of his biggest achievements: the Golden Reef 100 Miler. Then came a knee injury, an operation and a long absence from the road. Miller had achieved his goal of obtaining a Green Number and was content to hang up his running shoes for good. But the Comrades dream never entirely disappeared. It just lay quietly dormant — biding its time, which is exactly the dangerous, festering effect that Comrades tends to have on one’s psyche.
The lockdown loop
Lockdown provided plenty of time to think about life – the past, the present and the future. Miller’s thoughts turned to days gone by when he was a ‘runner’. Miller took a lawnmower and cut a one-kilometre path around his plot. That became his private running route. He ran around it every day, tracked his efforts on his Garmin and made use of the ‘Not Parkrun’ virtual challenge. At one point, he completed a full 50km ultra marathon run entirely around the plot — a feat that is either an inspirational example of discipline or evidence that Comrades runners should not be left unsupervised in confined spaces.
When parkrun returned, Miller became part of the Valhalla parkrun family and has now completed more than 100 parkruns. Two weeks before Comrades, he ran 22:33 at Valhalla parkrun to record the fastest overall time and secure an age grading of over 80%.
The granddaughter, the great-grandchild and one more Comrades
The smoldering idea of a return to Comrades sparked into flame in 2025 when his granddaughter, Zelmarie van Rensburg, crossed the Comrades finish line in 9:26:19. Watching her finish reignited the dream. Miller decided that it was time to run Comrades again — one more in his Green Number.
The original plan was for Miller and Zelmarie to run the 2026 race together. However, life had other plans: Zelmarie fell pregnant and had a baby boy, making Miller a great-grandfather.
READ MORE: A List of Valid Comrades Excuses
Miller stuck to his commitment, joined Alpha Centurion Athletic Club and, according to Alta, simply “could not stop running”. Dark mornings with a small flashlight, wet roads and soaking rain did not derail him and he racked up about 1,600km between January and June.
Alta says Miller’s perseverance, commitment and refusal to give up made her “super proud” of him and his achievements. She also commented that his one recurring catchphrase shared with fellow club members was “Never say never again.”
Comrades 2026: brutal Polly’s and the wrong shoes
Race day started well for Miller, but he said that there was a difficult patch later on when he felt like he was crashing — possibly from dehydration. Asked about the hardest part of Comrades 2026, Miller did not blame the distance, the hills or his long absence from the great race. His answer was refreshingly practical: I bought the wrong shoes by mistake.
And the toughest part of the route? “Brutal Polly’s was the hardest for me all the years,” said Miller. A lot has changed at Comrades over the last three decades but Polly Shortts is still the same ferocious monster it has been since the first Up run in 1922.
Miller has no bad memories of Comrades. “I never had any bad memories,” he said. “I only got good memories of all my runs through all the years and enjoyed every one of them. The people, the camaraderie, the laughs, the encouragement of fellow runners, the crowds — everybody and everything.” Absence certainly makes the heart grow fonder.
The 100th Comrades is calling
After a comeback like this, most people might decide that enough boxes have been ticked. Miller is not most people. Asked whether he plans to run next year, his answer was immediate: “Definitely yes.”
The motivation is obvious. The 2027 race will be the special 100th Comrades, and for Miller it would also be a “back-to-back in your Green Number” run. After waiting 31 years between Comrades starts, waiting just one year probably feels like a taper.
Miller Langenhoven’s story is a reminder that Comrades is not only a race for the young, the fast or the perfectly prepared. It is also a race for the stubborn and the sentimental. It’s a race for the comeback artists and those who keep a dream quietly alive until the road calls them back. It doesn’t matter how long it has been since your last Comrades, the ruthless road between Durban and Pietermaritzburg will always welcome you back for “one more run.”
What an incredible story and journey back to Comrades. Hope to meet next year. Here’s to staying healthy and able to show up at the starting line once again. All the best to you.
“At one point, he completed a full 50km ultra marathon run entirely around the plot — a feat that is either an inspirational example of discipline or evidence that Comrades runners should not be left unsupervised in confined spaces.”
now this is absolutely incredible and a bit humorous at the same time !
“At one point, he completed a full 50km ultra marathon run entirely around the plot — a feat that is either an inspirational example of discipline or evidence that Comrades runners should not be left unsupervised in confined spaces.”
now this is absolute determination and a bit humorous at the same time !
The Running Mann himself, once completed a full lronman in his back garden, so he probably has great insight of what can happen to Comrades runners if they are let loose on their own.