Comrades Marathon 2026: Tete Dijana’s Up-Run Quest Ends as George Kusche and Gerda Steyn Rewrite History
The 2026 Comrades Marathon was expected to be another defining chapter in Tete Dijana’s already remarkable relationship with South Africa’s most famous ultramarathon. Instead, the 99th edition of the “Ultimate Human Race” became a dramatic changing-of-the-guard moment in the men’s race, while Gerda Steyn strengthened her claim as one of the greatest women ever to run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.
- A Race Built Around Dijana’s Big Question
- George Kusche Turns the Race Into a Masterclass
- Where Dijana’s 2026 Story Fits
- Wiersma Proves the Rivalry Still Matters
- Gerda Steyn’s Fifth Title Confirms a Historic Reign
- Prize Money Adds Another Layer to the Stakes
- Why the 2026 Comrades Marathon Matters
- The Road to the Centenary Race
On Sunday, 14 June 2026, the race returned to the gruelling “up run” from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, covering 85.77 kilometres of punishing road, tactical pressure and historic expectation. Dijana, a three-time Comrades champion, entered the event chasing a fourth title and, crucially, his first victory on the up run. But the day belonged to George Kusche, who delivered a stunning record-breaking performance, and Steyn, who claimed her fifth Comrades crown with another course record.
A Race Built Around Dijana’s Big Question
Before the start, much of the men’s race narrative centred on Tete Dijana. He had already won Comrades in 2022, 2023 and 2025, placing him within reach of joining Alan Robb on four titles. But there was one major gap in his résumé: all his victories had come on the “down run.”
The 2026 edition presented a different test. The up run is a race of climbing strength, delayed aggression and late-stage endurance. Dijana had struggled in the 2024 up run, finishing 14th after being affected by cramps. That made 2026 more than a title defence. It was a chance to prove he could dominate Comrades in both directions.
“Winning the ‘up run’ will be a big victory for me,” said Dijana. “Having Piet as a rival also makes me work harder to be a better runner.”
That rival was Piet Wiersma, the Dutchman who had won the 2024 up run and finished narrowly behind Dijana in both 2023 and 2025. Their rivalry gave the men’s race a compelling storyline: Dijana chasing completeness, Wiersma chasing revenge, and a deep elite field threatening to disrupt both.
George Kusche Turns the Race Into a Masterclass
The disruption came from George Kusche.
Kusche crossed the finish line in Pietermaritzburg in 5:15:56, breaking Leonid Shvetsov’s 2008 up-run record of 5:24:49 by nearly nine minutes. In a race where minutes are usually hard-won and seconds can define careers, that margin was extraordinary.
What made Kusche’s victory more impressive was the way he built it. He did not burn energy recklessly in the early kilometres. He stayed patient, allowed others to shape the early pace and conserved himself for the climbs that define the up run. Only later did he begin to move decisively through the field.
The result was not only a victory; it was a statement of control. Kusche, a Nedbank Running Club athlete and former sub-four-minute miler, had finished 12th on his Comrades debut in 2025. One year later, he returned as a record-breaking champion.
By the finish, he had not merely beaten the field. He had changed the standard for what an elite up-run performance could look like.
Where Dijana’s 2026 Story Fits
For Dijana, the 2026 Comrades Marathon became a story of expectation rather than triumph. The provided results from the race’s leading finishers do not list him among the top men, and the men’s podium was instead led by Kusche, Wiersma and Mbuti Mollo.
That outcome does not erase Dijana’s standing in Comrades history. His victories in 2022, 2023 and 2025 remain major achievements, and his 2023 record-setting down-run time of 5:13:58 remains central to his legacy. But 2026 showed how unforgiving the Comrades can be, especially when the race direction shifts and the competitive field deepens.
The phrase “down run king” followed Dijana into the 2026 buildup for a reason. Winning the up run would have expanded his legacy from dominant champion to all-direction master. Instead, that distinction remains unfinished.
Wiersma Proves the Rivalry Still Matters
While Kusche seized the headline, Piet Wiersma again showed why he has become one of the defining figures of recent Comrades men’s racing.
Wiersma finished second in 5:19:36, also inside the previous up-run record. His performance confirmed that his 2024 victory was no isolated breakthrough. After finishing second to Dijana by tiny margins in previous down-run battles, Wiersma arrived in 2026 with another elite showing.
This means the Dijana-Wiersma rivalry remains important, even though Kusche has now forced himself into the centre of the conversation. The future of the men’s race may no longer be defined by a two-man storyline. It now looks like a broader contest involving proven champions, international contenders and a new South African record-holder.
Gerda Steyn’s Fifth Title Confirms a Historic Reign
If the men’s race produced a surprise, the women’s race delivered confirmation.
Gerda Steyn won her fifth Comrades Marathon title in 5:44:53, breaking her own 2024 up-run record of 5:49:46 by nearly five minutes. It was her fourth consecutive Comrades victory and another demonstration of her remarkable authority over South African ultra-distance racing.
Steyn’s dominance was already well established before 2026. She had become the first woman to break six hours on the up run in 2019, winning in 5:58:53. She later broke the down-run record in 2023 and improved her up-run mark in 2024. In 2026, she raised the standard again.
“I don’t really think about it being my fifth title,” said Steyn. “I just think about how to perform at my very best in that moment and on the day. Since my first win here at the Comrades, I’ve always known that there is a target on my back and that others might be focusing on me, but I’ve never allowed that to faze me.
“I just focus on myself, on the training, the preparation, being 110% ready on race day, being healthy, being mentally fresh and excited and to perform at my very best on the day.”
That mindset was visible in the result. Nobukhosi Tshuma finished second in 5:53:36, while Irvette van Zyl took third in 6:02:30. Both produced strong performances, but Steyn’s winning margin underlined the scale of her superiority.
Prize Money Adds Another Layer to the Stakes
The 2026 race also carried a record combined prize purse of R8.2 million, giving elite runners another powerful incentive to chase historic performances.
The winners each received R925,000, while course-record bonuses added R605,000. There was also an additional R550,000 on offer for the fastest average pace recorded at the annual event. Steyn’s record-breaking run earned her R2.08 million, made up of victory prize money, the course record bonus and the fastest average pace reward.
“We have made sure that the top contenders… have 8.2 million reasons to give everything they have,” said race director Sue Forge. “This race has always produced world-class performances, and this considerable prize purse reflects the status of both the race and the elite field we have running this year.”
The money matters, but at Comrades, legacy often matters more. The 2026 edition showed both forces at work: financial incentives sharpening the competition, and history pulling athletes toward performances that will be remembered long after prize cheques are spent.
Why the 2026 Comrades Marathon Matters
The 2026 Comrades Marathon was significant for three reasons.
First, it redefined the men’s up-run benchmark. Kusche’s 5:15:56 did more than break a record; it challenged future contenders to rethink what is possible on the climb to Pietermaritzburg.
Second, it complicated Tete Dijana’s legacy in an interesting way. He remains one of the great modern Comrades champions, but the up-run question remains unresolved. For fans searching for “Comrades Marathon 2026 Tete Dijana,” the key takeaway is that 2026 was not his coronation. It was the race where a new challenger took control of the men’s story.
Third, Steyn’s fifth title placed her even deeper into Comrades greatness. With five wins, multiple course records and continued dominance at 34, she has built a career that now belongs in any serious discussion of the race’s all-time elite.
The Road to the Centenary Race
The 2027 Comrades Marathon will carry enormous symbolic weight as the centenary race looms. After the records of 2026, the next edition will arrive with heightened expectations.
For Kusche, the question will be whether he can convert one brilliant breakthrough into sustained dominance. For Steyn, it will be whether she can keep extending a reign that already feels historic. For Dijana, the future question is more personal: can he return and add the up-run victory that has so far escaped him?
The 2026 Comrades Marathon did not deliver the Dijana triumph many expected. It delivered something more complex: a reminder that even champions must keep proving themselves, that Comrades history is never settled, and that the road between Durban and Pietermaritzburg can crown a new hero at any moment.
