ELITE RACE
Bongmusa Mthembu, legendary threetime winner of the Comrades Marathon
CHASING ROBB’ S RECORD
Listed as one of the contenders for a gold medal in the 2026 Comrades Marathon, former three-time winner Bongmusa Mthembu also stands to write his name into the history books if he can make the top 10 for the 12th time! – BY TATHE MSIMANGO
In his illustrious Comrades Marathon career, Bongmusa Mthembu has completed the race 17 times, emerging victorious on three occasions, finishing runner-up twice and adding two thirdplace finishes. Add all his other top 10 finishes and he can currently claim ownership of 11 gold medals, including eighth place in 2025, which means that this year’ s event holds considerable significance for him.
The all-time list of Comrades Marathon gold medals won by a male runner is headed by four-time winner Alan Robb, on 12 golds, with Mthembu and nine-time winner Bruce Fordyce in joint second place on 11 golds. So, if Mthembu can finish in the top 10 again this year, he will join Robb at the top of that list. This has caught the attention of various runners, media and fans of the sport, but in spite of the excitement it is generating, Mthembu remains calm, asserting that he does not run with the intention of chasing records.
“ I don’ t want to put myself under pressure by stating that I want to equal the record, or go on to break the record of the most gold medals, or that I will finish inside the top 10 this year. The main priority is to arrive at the start line injury-free and be able to finish the race strong,” says the man who hails from Bulwer, an area outside of Pietermaritzburg, and who runs for the Arthur Ford elite team. This understated approach to the race should come as no surprise, because Mthembu has always demonstrated a preference for avoiding the spotlight, with his presence being felt primarily through his performances on the road not his to make, and then once again emphasizes that his motivation for running is not driven by a desire for recognition.“ I think the runners should decide on that,” he says with a laugh,““ and if it ever gets to that level, then it’ s the media people that can push for that to happen.”
“ Personally, I just feel blessed, because there are a lot of athletes who were capable of achieving what I have managed to achieve, but they didn’ t. Still, I didn’ t get into running because of wanting to be recognised. Besides everything, this is my journey, my career, and as long as my family is being taken care of, and I’ m happy as well, then it is all well with me. And if I get one person out of 10 saying that he or she is proud of me, then that makes me happy and humble.”
Disciplined Trainer
Mthembu’ s Comrades journey commenced in 2006, with a 54th-place finish and a time of 6:25:19, demonstrating early signs of his potential. In 2007, he achieved a victory at the( now defunct) Maritzburg Marathon, and that proved instrumental in his career, as it was there that he met Sandile Makhaye, who convinced him to join the Maxed Elite team a year later. This move led to Mthembu’ s first Comrades gold medal in 2009, with a seventh-place finish in 5:41:54.
To this day, Makhaye considers Mthembu one of the most committed athletes he has encountered.“ When I met him, I saw a boy with great potential, but lacking a proper support system, so I asked him to join our club, and he was always willing to go the extra mile in his running,” he says.“ I often trained with him, and one thing I picked up from the beginning is the way he always worked hard in training. From there, he never looked back, and he has cemented his status as one of the leading ultra specialists in the country.”
Makhaye, now a specialist in athletics development in Pietermaritzburg, predicts another top 10 finish for Mthembu.“ He might not win the race, but I am willing to bet he will come in the top 10 again this year. The way he conducts his training and choice of races is key to his success. That’ s why I think young athletes can learn a lot from him – the way he has been consistent over the years – because sometimes it’ s not about talent alone, but about going the extra mile in training to reach your goals,” he concludes.
Another who speaks highly of Mthembu is coach Xolani Mabhida, the mastermind behind Mthembu’ s consecutive Comrades victories in 2017 and 2018, and also with Mthembu for his 2019 win in the Two Oceans Marathon. Mabhida views that 2018 Down
Deserved Recognition
Meanwhile, several people have suggested that Mthembu’ s impressive Comrades Marathon track record is deserving of a higher honour. The Comrades Marathon Association has honored several renowned Comrades runners from the past by naming medals after them, including Bill Rowyn, Robert Mtshali and Wally Hayward, as well as the race founder, Vic Clapham. Recently, an idea was put forward for a medal named after Mthembu.
When asked how he would feel about receiving such recognition, Mthembu states that such decisions are
Now a veteran, Bongmusa is still mixing it with the top Comrades Marathon runners
Images: Comrades Marathon Association
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