Sweat, tears and camaraderie as 20,000 runners take on world's largest ultramarathon
Source: The Guardian
In the early morning dark, thousands of runners waited, jostling with anticipation. South Africa’s national anthem rang out. Then the haunting swell of Shosholoza, first sung by Zimbabwean migrant workers in South Africa’s goldmines. Finally, that unmistakable, spine-tingling piano: Chariots of Fire.
You hear it all around the race: every runner has their reason. William Seleka started running in March 2025, amid a deep depression after the break-up of his marriage. “I thought for me to stay alive, I had to keep myself busy,” he said, as he stretched before a run, outside the single room he rents in the Johannesburg township of Alexandra, two weeks before Comrades.
As the runners left Durban, they wound their way upwards through lush trees, open fields and small towns. Families braaied by the roadside. Running clubs handed out supplies from gazebos pumping out music. Everybody was cheering the runners, willing them on.
By the halfway point, most were walking up each hill. At the Run Alex aid station, Seleka changed into a spare pair of shoes. It was the wrong choice: by 34 miles he was in agony. The only way he could distract himself from the pain was by counting or singing.
Gerda Steyn wins the 2026 Comrades Marathon in course record time. Photo: Comrades Marathon
George Kusche, the 2026 Comrades Marathon men’s winner. Photo: Comrades Marathon
https://www.irunfar.com/2026-comrades-marathon-results
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/21/comrades-ultramarathon-south-africa
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