Dubbed the greatest ultramarathoner in the world in 2018 by virtue of his fifth at Two Oceans , third at the World 100km Championships and his win in the Comrades , Mthembu boasts an ultra-running record that cannot be ignored . After a ‘ slow ’ start to his Comrades career from 2006 to 2008 , when he finished 54th , 31st and 52nd as he took a couple of years to learn how to run the race , Mthembu has featured in the top 10 in nine of his last 11 runs , on the podium seven times , with three wins . He also finished second and third at the World 100km Championships ( 2016 and 2018 ), and finished in the top 10 at Two Oceans on three occasions , with a win in 2019 .
Mthembu ’ s vast experience came to the fore in the 2022 Comrades , when he let the Nedbank quintet go and ran his own race , gradually closing the gap in the latter stages to finish fourth . However , his approach to the 2023 race is vastly different , and for the first time in his running career , Mthembu competed in the Om Die Dam 50km , which he won in 2:56:33 , while foregoing the Two Oceans , to give his body more time to recover for Comrades .
Nkosikhona Mhlakwana ( Hollywood )
2 Comrades medals ( 1 Gold ) 6th in 2022
Although still considered the ‘ new kid on the block ,’ there is a racing acumen within the mind of Mhlakwana that speaks to a very experienced ultramarathoner . Debuting at the 2019 Comrades , he was lying in 9th place and literally had the finish line in sight when he succumbed to cramps that were so bad , he had to hold onto the side barriers before eventually making his way to the finish . In the process , he was passed by two other athletes . Since then things have gone a lot smoother . Wins in the 2021 Ultra Trail Drakensberg 62km and Mangosuthu Buthelezi 52km , coupled with an 11th at the Runified 50km and 16th in the Ultra Trail Cape Town 100km , showed he had developed immensely . But it was his 2022 Two Oceans Marathon second place finish , where he went toe to toe with Ethiopia ’ s Edndale Belachew and only gave way on the grass at the finish line , that announced his pedigree as an ultramarathoner to be reckoned with . Mhlakwana finished 6th in the 2022 Comrades .
Dan Matshailwe ( Nedbank )
1 Comrades medal ( 1 Gold ) 3rd in 2022
Another one from the stable of Dave Adams in North West is 29-year-old Matshailwe , who finished third in his debut Comrades in 2022 . In spite of his lack of Comrades experience , it was only in the final stages of the race that he had to give way to his more illustrious teammates , Dijana and Mothibi , but Matshailwe comes with pedigree . A 2:14:06 marathon shows there is speed in those legs , and the Down Run tends to favour the speedsters . Matshailwe will have learnt a substantial amount in training with Mothibi and Dijana , and in last year ’ s race ; and will have to be considered as a contender again for a podium position .
Joseph Manyedi ( Nedbank )
6 Comrades medals ( 2 Golds ) 5th in 2019 7th in 2022
If one looked at Joseph Manyedi on his debut at the Comrades Marathon in 2015 , few would have predicted that he would be a major contender , after he crossed the finish line in 235th position . He was 176th , 140th and 115th in his next three Comrades outings , but in 2019 everything changed . He won the Om Die Dam 50km that year and finished fifth at Comrades , while also finishing 11th at the World 50km Championships . Just before the COVID pandemic shut down racing in South Africa , Manyedi was ninth at the Om Die Dam in 2020 , and 12th at the Nedbank Runfied 50km in 2021 . He continued improving in 2022 by taking ninth place at the Runified 50km , going on to finish seventh in the Comrades . Manyedi is wiser and stronger , and even though he is now 40 years old , he is still fiercely competitive .
Mahlomola Sekhonyana ( Hollywood )
6 Comrades medals ( 1 Gold ) 4th in 2019
In preparation for the 2019 Comrades , Sekhonyana ran a marathon personal best of 2:27:58 , and went on to finish fourth at Comrades . In 2022 he brought that PB down to 2:25:16 , and has been quietly going about his business in preparing for the big day . Sekhonyana is known for his meticulous preparation , without any fanfare , and it is all about the work he puts in under the guidance of Mdu Khumalo that makes him a top contender for Comrades 2023 .
Onalenna Khonkhobe ( Nedbank )
There is no Comrades finish next to Khonkhobe ’ s name , but his frontrunning in the 2022 race lives on in the memory , even though the experts called it a “ suicide mission .” Many believe that had he gone out at record pace ( 5:18:19 ) and not at sub-5-hour pace , he may well have not only hung on to the lead and finished , but could well have rewritten the record books . With the race now officially finishing at Hollywoodbets Kingsmead , the race will be 2.2km shorter than in previous years when the race finished at Moses Mabhida . Chances of the record going are now very high , and Khonkhobe could well be instrumental in that . In the build-up to last year ’ s Comrades , he was sixth at Two Oceans and second at the N12 Ultra 50km . This year he finished second at the Runified 50km in February , clocking 2:39:41 to also dip under the previous World Record set by Stephen Mokoka , so if he brings that form into Comrades , he could be one to watch .
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