Double Comrades crown

If sense of occasion was an examinable subject, Bongmusa Mthembu and Camille Herron used yesterday's 93rd edition of the Comrades Marathon to exhibit their excellence in that field.

With his second title following his 2014 down-run win, Mthembu (5:35:34) became the first South African to complete the Comrades Marathon up- and down-run double since Bruce Fordyce in 1987.

Herron (6:27:35) became the first American since Ann Trason in 1997 to win the race.

Herron, who broke down in tears of joy while also nearly forgetting to finish the race towards the finish, said she wanted to match her compatriot's efforts.

Herron did all the hard work from Pinetown, where she took the lead, only for her to think she'd won the race by just entering the Scottsville Race Course.

A fellow racer had to remind her that she still had to finish, but at that point she was never in danger of being shocked by the second-placed Russian Alexandra Morozova in 6:31:45.

The 2016 down-run champion and 2014 up-run runner-up Charne Bosman was third in 6:39:51.

"Ann Trason won the Comrades and the Western States race in back-to-back years and that's been my goal ever since," Herron said.

"In three weeks I'll be running my first 100-mile race. Next year I'll be back to take part in the down run and try to win it because that's what Trason did," she said.

"I've been thinking about the Comrades since 1995, when I read Professor Timothy Noakes' book and it's been the only ultra-marathon I've been thinking about.

"It was a big deal reading about Bruce Fordyce and the legends and that's the one book my dad bought for me," she said.

Mthembu did not have it his own way as Hatiwande Nyamande (5:38:48) and Gift Kelehe (5:41:48) challenged him.

Having failed dismally by his own high standards in the 2015 edition, when he couldn't even finish in the top 10, Mthembu paced his race perfectly while watching the likes of early pacemaker Thobani Chagwe and Charles Tijane fade in the fierce Midlands heat.

Mthembu's winning time was comfortably off Leonid Shvetzov's 2008 record of 5:24:49.

Mthembu, who was greeted at the finish line by his son Sisanda, 9, said his win was a triumph for not only his family, but for all South Africa's rural athletes.

"I'm trying by all means to be my son's role model. One thing we must know is that most of South Africa's running talent is from the rural areas and that talent needs to be cultivated," Mthembu said.