As the Comrades Marathon "up-run" returns on Sunday for the first time since 2019, defending champion Edward Mothibi insists he is not thinking about the win but improving his time.
Mothibi was the last winner of the up-run in 2019 before Covid-19 forced the race to be canceled. The race returned in 2022, with the down-run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban for two years. Both races were won by Mothibi training partner, Tete Dijana.
With the up-run this year being 2km shorter than in 2019, Mothibi sees this as an opportunity to improve on the 5:31:31 time he achieved four years ago.
"Honestly, I want to run a better time because the distance is shorter, that's all I can say," Mothibi told Sowetan yesterday.
"I ran the up-run for the first time and won the Comrades. I'm not sure how it will be because I only did one up-run and we stayed for two years without Comrades and again, another two years without an up-run.
Mothibi targets better time in the Comrades up-run
Last champ of the uphill race expects stiffer competition
Image: Darren Stewart
As the Comrades Marathon "up-run" returns on Sunday for the first time since 2019, defending champion Edward Mothibi insists he is not thinking about the win but improving his time.
Mothibi was the last winner of the up-run in 2019 before Covid-19 forced the race to be canceled. The race returned in 2022, with the down-run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban for two years. Both races were won by Mothibi training partner, Tete Dijana.
With the up-run this year being 2km shorter than in 2019, Mothibi sees this as an opportunity to improve on the 5:31:31 time he achieved four years ago.
"Honestly, I want to run a better time because the distance is shorter, that's all I can say," Mothibi told Sowetan yesterday.
"I ran the up-run for the first time and won the Comrades. I'm not sure how it will be because I only did one up-run and we stayed for two years without Comrades and again, another two years without an up-run.
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"It will be like I'm new on the day. I'm just going to wait and see how it goes."
With Dijana winning the last two editions of the down-runs, Mothibi expects the rest of the field to challenge them as they look to end their dominance in the race.
"If I see all the ultra specialists of SA will be at the starting line. We will also have a lot of elites that will be competing so, I can't say who is going to give me a challenge because everyone will be ready.
"Especially us North West guys, we have given them a tough time in the past two years. So, they will be aiming to give us a hard time and we can't say much about that.
Comrades Marathon confirms direction for next year's race
"But I'm just prepared the same as last two years after Covid. We will see how things go on race day."
Piet Wiersma from the Netherlands, Soweto Marathon and City-to-City champion Ntsindiso Mphakathi, Givemore Mudzinganyama, Onalenna Khonkhobe and Bongmusa Mthembu are among the favourites to win the race on Sunday.
Meanwhile, Gerda Steyn will be the favourite to win the women's race again. She will face competition from Adele Broodryk, Alexandra Morozova and Carla Molinaro.
The race will start at 5.30am at Durban City Hall and finish at 5.30pm at Scottsville Racecourse in Pietermaritzburg.
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