Zimbabwe’s Stephen Muzhingi won the gruelling 89km Comrades Marathon between Pietermaritzburg and Durban on Sunday.
In an annual race normally dominated by Russian runners and this year attracting a field of 13 000, Muzhingi crossed the finish line in Durban in 5:23,27.
Defending champion Leonid Shvetsove of Russia was second, with South African Lucas Nonyana in third.
”It was a good race. I was focused and reacted very well to moves by my challengers. I did not experience any pain or cramps,” the 33-year-old Muzhingi told SABC television after the race.
Muzhingi, who finished third in the 2008 and seventh the year before that, will pocket prize money of R220 000 and a gold medal for winning this year’s event, which was first staged in 1921.
Meanwhile, Olesya Nurgalieva won the women’s race in an unofficial time of 6:12,08.
Her twin sister, Elena Nurgalieva was second in 6:12,11 followed by another Russian, Tatyana Zhirkova in 6:15,00. — Sapa-AFP