For the second year in a row ( COVID-interruption excluded ), the Bedfordviewbased club provided the women ’ s winner , as Adele Broodryk stormed to victory in 3 hours 23 minutes and 48 seconds , just 15 ticks of the clock shy of the course record . “ I felt completely in control and even though I passed the marathon in a new PB of 2:46 , there was a lot left in the tank at the finish line ,” says the sports scientist from Potchefstroom , who finished 29th overall , adding that her Comrades preparation is “ spot on .”

The 2016 Comrades Marathon winner , Charné Bosman , ran her fastest time ever on the undulating course ( at the age of 46 ) to clinch second in 3:27:35 , while the rest of the women in Black & Yellow secured the positions from fifth through to ninth via Cobie Smith ( 3:40:14 ), Danette Walley ( 3:41:51 ), defending champion Caroline Josten ( 3:42:03 ), Janie Grundling ( 3:42:56 ) and Yolande Maclean , ninth in 3:45:20 . All in all , there were 11 of the team in the top 20 women !

Not to be Outdone …

In the men ’ s race , Lutendo Mapoto took the lead just past the 40km mark , only to run into energy troubles on the last tough drag up to the finish line at the Hartbeespoort High School . He eventually finished third in 2:58:35 , just more than a minute off the winning time of 2:57:24 , while his teammate from Limpopo ,

Pfarelo Mathada , was sixth ( 3:02:56 ) and veteran Thulani Magagula , was eighth in 3:06:06 . There were another five Murray & Roberts men in the top 25 , confirming the depth that manager Dana Coetzee has established in the team .

More success followed in the age categories , with the aforementioned podium c lean sweep – a 19th for the club this year alone – coming from the veteran women a s they dominated the over-40 category through Bosman , Josten and Grundling . A mongst the men , Magagula took second in the veterans section , while Bethuel N etshitenzhe was victorious in the over-50 ’ s in a scintillating 3:18:52 , cementing the w in with almost four minutes to spare . The remarkable Val Watson , on the comeback t rail after battling illness , was the women ’ s grand masters category in 4:52:11 . C lub Chairman Ed Jardim says : “ I ’ m grateful that we have the opportunity to run a nd race again . The old saying goes , “ You don ’ t know what you have till it ’ s gone .” W ell , seeing the team , our performances and spirit throughout reminded me of how l ucky we are to have it all back . At the finish , a few strangers even remarked on the a mazing ‘ gees ’ we have at the club … they actually wanted to know what we ‘ feed o ur team !’ When Chariots of Fire played at the start , it reminded us of that great r ace taking place later this year , the Comrades , and we ’ ll do the same there as w hat we did this weekend , I ’ m sure .”