FEATURE
Johannes is the embodiment of a slowburning flame, nurtured with moderation and fanned with discipline.“ Listen to your body. Don’ t force anything. Eat what nourishes you. Drink what restores you. Know when to rest.” These aren’ t just aphorisms, they’ re the commandments etched into the gospel of his long stride.
TIME AS A TRAINING PARTNER
His story doesn’ t start on a podium but in a past shadowed by injustice. In the early 1980s, apartheid barred him from participating in Comrades, a race he’ d dreamed of long before his name would ever be etched in record books.“ Those laws stopped me from running,” he remembers,“ but not from dreaming.”
When freedom finally opened the gates, he didn’ t hesitate. Already in his 60s, while others were easing into retirement, Johannes laced up and set off. Ten Comrades Marathons later, he hasn’ t stopped. Time hasn’ t been his enemy; it’ s been his training partner, his rival, and now, in some ways, his apprentice.
In 2023, at 81, he broke the legendary Wally Hayward’ s longstanding record as the oldest finisher. In 2025, he did it again, finishing the 89 km odyssey in 11 hours, 47 minutes, and 27 seconds. Where others sprint and burn out, Mosehla paces and perseveres.
CLIMBING POLLY SHORTTS WITH PURPOSE
He doesn’ t shy away from the hardest parts of the route. The infamous Polly Shortts, dreaded by even the young and spry, is just another chapter in his pilgrimage.“ It’ s the final exam,” he says, a twinkle in his tone. And he always shows up for class.
The down run may be brutal on the legs, but he prefers it as it mimics life, he says, where momentum must be balanced with caution, and speed means nothing without control.
And he carries more than his bib number. Each step is a nod to the boy who once watched from the sidelines, barred by a system that saw his skin before his spirit. He runs for that boy. He runs for all who think the start line has passed them by.
MORE THAN MILES: A PHILOSOPHY IN MOTION
He doesn’ t preach, but when he speaks, the wisdom flows like a cool stream through cracked earth. To the young?“ It’ s never too late to start.” To the old?“ Respect your body as it’ s your only vehicle to the finish line.”
And with the candid humour of a man who’ s seen many seasons, he adds:“ Don’ t sleep around with many partners, as you don’ t know where you can pick up diseases,” chuckling through the gravity with grandfatherly charm.
In a world addicted to speed and obsessed with youth, Mosehla is a reminder that not all victories come in bursts. Some are built in the slow,
sacred layering of days, decades, and disciplined choices. He runs not for the applause, but to fulfil a promise to a younger version of himself, and in doing so, he becomes the pulse of a race that’ s more spiritual than athletic.
THE ROAD STILL BECKONS
As for the 2026 Up Run?“ Hopefully, yes,” he says, his tone soft but steady.“ But it’ s not up to me. My body will tell me.” He runs in tune with the rhythm of the earth beneath him and the quiet metronome within, a lesson in grace for all who chase.
Johannes Maros Mosehla doesn’ t chase the clock. He teaches it patience. And as long as the road is open and the heart is willing, he will run, not to escape time, but to harmonise with it. Whether you’ re sprinting toward youth or jogging into your golden years, remember: the Comrades spirit isn’ t measured in kilometres per hour, but in kilometres of character.
So, lace up. Whether you’ re 23 or 83, the road is still open. And as Johannes has shown us, the spirit of Comrades is not in the speed, but in the soul. And Johannes? He’ s already kilometres ahead.
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