NKARENG MATSHE | Matshailwe feels he's edging closer to Comrades title

Having secured another podium finish at the Comrades Marathon, Dan Matshailwe is convinced it’s only a matter of time before he clinches the ultimate human race.

Matshailwe finished 45 seconds behind lanky Dutchman Piet Wiersma, who returned to the ultra-marathon with a vengeance after last year’s controversy-filled near-miss.

Becoming the first SA man to the finish line in Sunday’s up-run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, Matshailwe’s runner-up position was a further testament to his growing reputation as a future Comrades champion, as he had come third two years ago.

He didn’t finish last year’s race but was familiar with how his teammate Dijana usurped Wiersma, prompting the Dutchman to return with strong determination on Sunday.

“We had prepared very well, but Piet was just untouchable this time,” admitted the soft-spoken Matau, the North West-born runner. “We spent more than two weeks in Dullstroom (Mpumalanga) with the likes of Edward Mothibi, Johannes Makgetla and Joseph Manyedi, preparing at high altitude, but Piet was very well prepared. He deserved to win.”

Sunday’s triumph in 5:25:00 was sweet revenge for the Dutchman who, infamously, appeared to have become a victim of conspiracy by Dijana and his fellow local Nedbank running club teammates as they refused to share some refreshments with him.

“Those (refreshments) are personal, so we are not meant to share,” explained Matshailwe yesterday. “This time Piet had his own stuff, even though we run for the same team (Nedbank).”

Strangely, Matshailwe found the gruelling up-run more appealing than the down run, which he finished in 5:36:24 in 2022. “I found the up-run more enjoyable because the down-run can damage your quads. I really wanted to win, and I tried to push harder towards the finish, but there was nothing I could do to catch up with Piet.”

Having now banked over R400,000 for coming second, Matshailwe will now focus on improving his record for time-trials and the half-marathon. “I want to see myself running 21km in 63 minutes, and for that to happen I need to work on my speed,” he mused.

With the Olympics starting in Paris next month, the 30-year-old conceded his time for the Games has passed. “I have no ambition of going to the Olympics because I started running too late, when I was 23. I would struggle against people who’ve been preparing on the track since they were children. My ambition is to represent SA at the world marathon championships (in September) and I think my performance on Sunday will earn me a spot.”