/ 19 June 2000

KOTOV WINS COMRADES

VETERAN 42-year-old Vladimir Kotov has won the Comrades marathon in a new record time of 5:25:33. The little Polish runner ran unbelievable three-minute kilometres up Polly Shorts to smash the course record for the “up” run. Alexei Volgin came in just over a minute later in second place breaking his third-place hoodoo, with defending champion Dimitri Grishine in third. The first South African home was an emotional Donovan Wright who finished in the top ten after trying unsuccessfully for three years. Andrew Kelehe came through in fifth position.