Twenty members of the Harmony Striders Athletics Club completed the 99th Comrades Marathon on Sunday 14 June.

The 85,77 km “up run” from the Durban City Hall to Pietermaritzburg attracted 21 633 registered athletes, just short of the 22 000 entry cap set by organisers.

Three Striders finished within the Bill Rowan medal time limit of nine hours. Cyril Khumalo recorded 8:15:29, Hlalefang Stemere finished in 8:39:41 and Morné Nel completed the race in 8:54:36.

The Bill Rowan medal, introduced in 2000, honours the winner of the first Comrades Marathon in 1921, whose winning time was 8:59:00. Nel completed his sixth Comrades.

Club members Daniel Pienaar (10:07:03), George Semoeng (10:27:08), and Werner Rossouw (10:28:42) earned bronze medals. Bronze medals are earned in a time of 10:00:00 to 10:59:59.

A further seven Harmony Striders received Vic Clapham medals. They are Jacques du Preez (11:13:58), Charmaine Nortier (11:28:28), Solomon Ratsiane (11:39:36), Mokotsolane Mokharomeso (11:43:20), Pierre Spurr (11:51:20), Andre Els (11:51:42) and Lihle Mzazi (11:54:08). The Vic Clapham medal is named after the race founder.

Other Striders who completed the race include Benjamin Mokoka, Potlako Sekokotana, Moses Myawuza, Deon Lodder, Meschack Lepele, Juan Pierre Kalp and Mavis Motaung.

Two Striders, Nortier and Pienaar, achieved their Green Numbers, given to athletes who complete their 10th Comrades. This year the Harmony Striders had three Novices: athletes who successfully completed their first Comrades. They are Du Preez, Mzazi and Stemere.

There were two Back-to-Back medals achieved by Semoeng and Nyawuza. This is achieved by athletes who entered and completed their first Comrades the previous year, and did the same the following year. You then get two medals when you finish the second year.

Athletes can only achieve this once, and it must be done in a consecutive year.

George Kusche won the men’s race in record time, breaking the 18-year-old “up run” record. Gerda Steyn secured her fifth title and fourth consecutive win, breaking her own record by five minutes. Steyn became the second woman and seventh runner overall to achieve five Comrades wins.

The field included 515 SAPS members, 207 Department of Correctional Services athletes, and 482 runners raising funds through the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) Race4Charity initiative.

The Comrades Marathon was first held on 24 May 1921. World War I veteran Vic Clapham conceived the race to honour fallen soldiers.