Two South Africans win 90th Comrades Marathon

May 31, 2015
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This year was the 90th running of the Comrades Marathon. For the first time in 23 years, two South African runners won the event hosted by their home country. Comrades is a well-known ultra that is popular among international elites as it is the largest and oldest ultra in the world. It spans a distance of 89 kilometres and saw over 22,400 flock to the start line this year.

 

First place in the men’s race was Gift Kelehe. He ran the distance in 5:38:36. Behind him was Ethiopian athlete Mohammed Husien (5:46:14) and Hatiwande Nyamande, also from South Africa, who ran a time of 5:48:19.

Caroline Wostman won the women’s race running 6:12:22. It has been 16 years since a South African woman was first to cross the line. Behind her was Charne Bosman in second place (also South African). She ran 6:33:24. The next runner to finish the ultra was Russia’s Elena Nurgalieva (6:40:36). Nurgalieva has won the event eight times– a women’s record for most wins at Comrades. (Bruce Fordyce holds the men’s record having won nine times.)

North Vancouver runner Ellie Greenwood was also on the course in South Africa today. She ran a 6:44:03 race placing sixth in the women’s event. She won the event last year though she told Canadian Running a few weeks ago that she was not returning to defend her title. Greenwood has just come off a major hand injury yet placed third at the Vancouver Marathon this spring. She was aiming for a hard training run.

After deciding she was fit enough after her injury to race Comrades, she returned to the event with a goal to race well. Greenwood says that was something she was keen to do as Comrades is an event she loves.

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