In one of the most historic days in Comrades Marathon history both men’s and women’s records were broken at the 2023 ‘Down’ Run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.

In near-perfect cool and windless conditions, Phantane AC’s Gerda Steyn finally cracked the 34-year-old best of Frith van der Merwe averaging 3:56 mins/km for the distance (Van der Merwe averaged 3:58) on a course that, for Steyn, was 1.8km shorter. Steyn also holds the record for the ‘Up’ Run.

Nedbank’s Tete Dijana, the 2022 winner, broke clear from a lead group of three in Pinetown, around 30km from the finish, and never looked back to win the men’s race. David Gatebe ran the previous best time in 2016 but, on the shorter course, the diminutive Dijana took full advantage. Dijana’s average speed was 3:38 mins/km whereas Gatebe was slightly faster with an average of 3:34.

The Stats

Winners
Men: Tete Dijana (Nedbank) 5:13.58 (breaking David Gatebe’s 2016 best time of 5:18:19)
Women: Gerda Steyn 5:44:54 (breaking Frith van der Merwe’s 1989 best time of 5:54:43)

Their victories earned them R1.2m, with R500,000 for the win, R500,000 for beating the mark and R200,000 for being the first South African home.

Official distance: 87.701km
– 2,2km shorter than 2022 89.885km ‘Down’ run
– The last time that the race had finished at Kingsmead in 2016, the race distance was 89,208km; the same year in which Gatebe set the previous best ‘Down’ run time of 5:18:19
– When Van der Merwe set the previous best women’s best ‘Down’ run time of 5:54:43 in 1989, also at the Kingsmead Cricket Stadium, the distance was 89,6km.
– The difference in distances over the years is mainly due to the roadworks and varying routes taken on the run out of Pietermaritzburg.

Finishers
92,68% finish rate (highest-ever finishing rate in the history of  the race)
Starters: 16072
Finishers: 14896

Medical
350 – number of runners who received medical treatment at the Finish Venue Medical Facility.
51 – patients who were treated in hospital. 24 were referred from the medical tent at the finish while 27 were taken directly from the route.
20 – patients admitted to hospital.

All The Results

Top 10 Men:

Pos	Name	Country	Running Club	Finish
1	Tete Dijana	RSA	Nedbank RC AGN	05:13:58
2	Piet Wiersma	Netherlands	Nedbank RC International	05:14:01
3	Edward Mothibi	RSA	Nedbank RC AGN	05:17:34
4	Gordon Lesetedi	RSA	Pan African Resources	05:20:43
5	Rufus Photo	RSA	Murray & Roberts LIMA	05:21:48
6	Johannes Makgetla	KEN	Nedbank RC AGN	05:23:34
7	Teboho Sello	Lesotho	Maxed Elite Lesotho	05:24:23
8	Aleksei Beresnev	Russia		05:24:41
9	Gift Kelehe	RSA	Pan African Resources	05:27:53
10	Joseph Manyedi	RSA	Nedbank RC AGN	05:29:49

Top 10 Women:

Pos	Name	Country	Running Club	Finish
1	Gerda Steyn	RSA	Phantane AC	05:44:54
2	Adele Broodryk	RSA	Nedbank RC AGN	05:56:26
3	Carla Molinaro	RSA	Phantane AC	06:00:23
4	Dominika Stelmach	Poland	Nedbank RC International	06:06:02
5	Caitriona Jennings	Ireland	Nedbank RC International	06:10:27
6	Alexandra Morozova	Russia		06:14:33
7	Petra Pastorova	Czechia	Nedbank RC International	06:22:34
8	Noora Honkala	Finland		06:25:00
9	Camille Chaigneau	France	Nedbank RC International	06:26:58
10	Jenet Mbhele	RSA	Xcel RC	06:27:14

First South African Male: 

Pos	Name	Country	Finish
1	Tete Dijana	RSA	05:13:58

First South African Female:

Pos	Name	Country	Finish
1	Gerda Steyn	RSA	05:44:54

First KwaZulu-Natal Male:

Pos	Name	Race No	Running Club	Finish
1	Sikhumbuzo Seme	44201	Hollywood AC KZN	5:30:05

First KwaZulu-Natal Female:

Pos	Name	Race No	Running Club	Finish
1	Jenet Mbhele	55368	Xcel RC	6:27:14

Team Prize – Elite Male: Nedbank Running Club

Name	Race No	Category	Time
Tete Dijana	28951	Senior	5:13:58
Edward Mothibi	17472	Senior	5:17:34
Johannes Makgetla	19952	40-49	5:23:34
Joseph Manyedi	28773	40-49	5:29:49

Team Prize: Elite Female: Nedbank RC

1stPosition	Team:  Nedbank Running Club	Category	Time
Race No	Name
46307	Adele BROODRYK	Senior	05:56:26
54325	Galaletsang MEKGOE	Senior	06:31:19
10862	Deanne LAUBSCHER	Senior	06:36:56
55780	Fikile MBUTHUMA	40-49	06:50:19

Team Prize: Male 20-39

1stPosition	Team:  Nedbank RC KZN
Race No.	Name	Club	Category	Time
57422	Siyabonga MAFULEKA	NEDBANK RC KZN	20-39	05:39:55
13592	Malusi DLOMO	NEDBANK RC KZN	20-39	05:40:29
13893	Bafana GUMEDE	NEDBANK RC KZN	20-39	05:40:36
51488	Mzwenkosi MJAJA	NEDBANK RC KZN	20-39	06:00:06

2^nd Position: Hollywood AC

Race No.	Name	Club	Category	Time
44201	Sikhumbuzo SEME	HOLLYWOOD AC KZN	20-39	05:30:05
51251	Perfect DLAMINI	HOLLYWOOD AC KZN	20-39	06:17:34
18341	Menzi NDABA	HOLLYWOOD AC KZN	20-39	06:26:45
20927	Mthokozisi CELE	HOLLYWOOD AC KZN	20-39	06:26:45

Team Prize – Female 20-39:

1^st Position: Ubora AC Jhb

Race No.	Name	Club	Category	Time
21075	Lene SWART	UBORA ATHLETICS CLUB JHB	20-39	07:02:52
29121	Renata VOSLOO	UBORA ATHLETICS CLUB JHB	20-39	07:04:21
41274	Gina POCOCK	UBORA ATHLETICS CLUB JHB	20-39	07:11:52
36257	Nancy BARBER	UBORA ATHLETICS CLUB JHB	20-39	07:59:57

 

2^nd Position: Team Vitality CG

Race No.	Name	Club	Category	Time
43622	Sarah SILBER	RUN ZONE AC	20-39	07:12:43
51450	Cleo ALBERTUS	RUN ZONE AC	20-39	08:30:56
45417	Jessica AYLWARD	RUN ZONE AC	20-39	08:35:57
58910	Nakita SWAIT	RUN ZONE AC	20-39	08:53:26

Team Prize: Male 40+

1^st Position: Stella AC

Race No.	Name	Club	Category	Time
55953	Nkosinathi NGCONGO	STELLA AC	40+	06:00:55
20919	Gcina MSIBI	STELLA AC	40+	06:10:21
53444	Mlungisi NTENGA	STELLA AC	40+	06:16:22
49713	Alasdair LESLIE	STELLA AC	40+	06:37:30

Team Prize: Female 40+

1^st Position: Easy Equities Born2Run GN

Race No.	Name	Club	Category	Time
14311	Mitsie VAN DER WESTHUIZEN	EASY EQUITIES BORN 2 RUN GN	40+	07:20:22
45615	Merle RAUTENBACH	EASY EQUITIES BORN 2 RUN GN	40+	07:24:25
54551	Yvette HUMAN	EASY EQUITIES BORN 2 RUN GN	40+	08:35:25
26186	Cinette VAN DER ENDE	EASY EQUITIES BORN 2 RUN GN	40+	08:41:41

Top 3: Male 40-49

Pos	Race No	Name	Category	Country	Club	Finish
1	29889	Rufus PHOTO	40-49	RSA	Murray & Roberts LIMA	05:21:48
2	19952	Johannes MAKGETLA	40-49	RSA	Nedbank RC AGN	05:23:34
3	39607	Teboho SELLO	40-49	Lesotho	Maxed Elite Lesotho	05:24:23

Top 3: Female 40-49

Pos	Race No	Name	Category	Country	Club	Finish
1	21237	Dominika STELMACH	40-49	Poland	Nedbank RC International	06:06:02
2	21233	Caitriona JENNINGS	40-49	Ireland	Nedbank RC International	06:10:27
3	42875	Petra PASTOROVA	40-49	Czechia	Nedbank RC International	06:22:34

Top 3: Male 50-59

Pos	Race No	Name	Category	Country	Club	Finish
1	25035	Wayne SPIES	50-59	Australia	Nedbank RC International	05:42:01
2	49673	Oleg KHARITONOV	50-59	Russia		06:15:52
3	13772	Jubulani MABASO	50-59	RSA	Mandeni Harriers	06:18:32

Top 3: Female 50-59

Pos	Race No	Name	Category	Country	Club	Finish
1	45773	Karen SOBRINO	50-59	RSA	Hillcrest Villagers	07:23:29
2	58973	Maria Claudia FERREIRA	50-59	Brazil		07:45:23
3	41513	Ran LIU	50-59	USA		07:58:07

Top 3: Male 60+

Pos	Race No	Name	Category	Country	Club	Finish
1	17713	Ndabezinhle NDLOVU	60+	RSA	Carlton AC	07:11:29
2	9867	Jabulani GAMEDE	60+	RSA	Boksburg AC	07:13:16
3	26652	Thopane MOKOLO	60+	RSA	Polokwane AC	07:27:23

Top 3: Female 60+

Pos	Race No	Name	Category	Country	Club	Finish
1	15643	Malie VAN DER WALT	60+	SA	ARCELORMITTAL AVT	08:42:38
2	9285	Irene WISDOM	60+	SA	COLLEGIANS HARRIERS	08:52:08
3	45181	Rita VAN WYK	60+	SA	BOKSBURG AC	08:59:22

First Novice:

Name	Race No	Club	Country	Category	Time
Piet Wiersma	55335	Nedbank RC International	Netherlands	Senior	5:14:01

Youngest Finisher: Age 20

Name	Race No	Club	Category	Time
Werner Oosthuizen	43955	Tuks AC	Senior	8:45:40

Oldest Finisher:

Name	Race No	Club	Category	Time
Maros Mosehla	55651	Polokwane AC	M60	9:26:10

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