For first-time Comrades runner, University of Pretoria (UP) master’s student Qiniso Sithole, crossing the finish line was an emotional moment that left him in tears.
Sithole completed Sunday’s Comrades Marathon in 9:34:11, finishing 4,993rd after starting in Group 1, F batch.
Reflecting on the achievement, he said finishing the world’s biggest ultramarathon was a testament to the person he has become through months of training and sacrifice.
“I think it speaks to the person I am. It speaks to the person I developed when I initially started the training block until race day. Being able to finish Comrades and run such a good time on my first attempt during an up-run feels like a true testament to the resilience, courage and determination that I have.”
The final-year Master of Science in agriculture plant pathology student almost didn’t manage to register for the 2026 academic year because of the fees that had piled up during his studies since he arrived at UP in 2024.
He then participated in the marathon as one of nine fundraising champions for UP’s Degrees Delivered campaign, an initiative aimed at helping graduates clear historical student debt and access their degree certificates.
“For me, finishing the race felt like I was able to represent the cause and the campaign for what it’s supposed to represent, because it’s supposed to represent also the students being resilient and holding on through hardships,” he said.
“I am glad I did this for my peers. It was worth it.”
The race was not without challenges. He described the race as much harder than he expected.
Sithole admitted there were several moments when he thought about giving up, particularly after reaching Inchanga (a famous, gruelling climb and a designated official spectator point along the Comrades Marathon route), about 50km into the race.
He said at some point he wanted to give up. He felt like asking himself why he was even taking part. “What kept me going, however, was the support I received from family, friends and spectators lining the route.
“I had people cheering for me on the side of the road and waiting for me at the finish line,” said Sithole.
He said that as much as he expected difficulties, it was brutal. “It’s one of the hardest things I’ve done in my entire life. It is traumatic. It’s hectic and it’s hard.
“The hills are brutal. You climb and climb and climb. At some points you have to walk because they are unrunnable.”
He said Inchanga and Polly Shorts proved to be the most difficult parts of the route.
“The most difficult moment of the day was when we reached Inchanga. Your legs are already starting to feel the pain, and the hill is long and hard.
“But the hardest part of the course was climbing Polly Shorts. I literally walked from the start of Polly Shorts all the way up. Whether you walk or run, you still feel it. It is just brutal,” he said.
He said when he crossed the finish line, he cried.
“I’m not sure exactly why I was crying, but I think it was because it felt like such a big achievement.
It felt like, wow, you did this. You managed to finish a race that is so difficult. You could have quit anywhere during the race, but you managed to finish
— Qiniso Sithole
“It felt like, wow, you did this. You managed to finish a race that is so difficult. You could have quit anywhere during the race, but you managed to finish. It felt like achievement and fulfilment,” he said.
The runner credited God, family, friends and fellow runners for helping him reach the finish line.
“Firstly, I’d like to give all the thanks and glory to God. Without him carrying me from training season until race day, it would not have been possible,” he said.
“At some point on the race course I was literally shouting to God, saying, ‘You need to come through for me now.’
“My mom prayed for me, my family prayed for me and my friends kept calling me.”
For Steve Mabona, Sunday’s race was a milestone achievement as he earned his ninth Comrades medal and recorded a personal best.
Mabona completed the race in 10:25:13 after starting in Group 1, Batch F, earning a bronze medal.
“This is my ninth medal, which means a lot to me because it’s a personal best. In all my eight previous finishes, this is the first time I’ve clocked under 11 hours,” said Mabona.
The Gauteng health spokesperson described the moment he crossed the finish line as surreal.
“I couldn’t comprehend the excitement and emotions I was going through,” he said.
“I put a lot of work into training for this one. The fact that I didn’t finish in 2025 encouraged me to push even when things got tough on the road.
It was also exciting arriving with the sun shining. I even got a flower and felt like a winner. In previous finishes I arrived under floodlights because it was dark
— Steve Mabona
“It was also exciting arriving with the sun shining. I even got a flower and felt like a winner. In previous finishes I arrived under floodlights because it was dark,” he said.
Mabona described the Comrades as never easy, no matter how experienced a runner is.
He found Polly Shorts particularly challenging.
“Polly Shorts is the last hill that troubles almost all of us during an up run,” he said.
“I had to negotiate it by running and walking from halfway up to Inchanga. Then I recovered, got back to my pace and pushed.
“The Comrades Marathon can never be easy. Training is your ammunition for the fight. It also depends on how you feel when you wake up on race day,” he said.
At one stage, he found himself separated from a friend he had started the race with.
“In the initial stages I was running with a friend, but because I reduced my pace on a hill he probably felt I would delay him. He left me on Fields Hill.
“I told myself I would never be deterred. I trained and was well prepared to fight, so I decided I was running alone and I pushed,” he said.
Mabona said his journey is about promoting a healthy lifestyle and inspiring others.
“Even if people don’t aspire to run the Comrades Marathon, they can still participate in running on a lower scale and stay active.”
He thanked his family, coach Linda Hlophe, Zwakala Athletics Club members, Gauteng Health Athletics Club and fellow runners for supporting him throughout his journey.
He has already set his sights on the 2027 race.
“I will be going for my 10th medal at the 100th anniversary of the Comrades Marathon. It will be a big one for me,” he said.
While Sithole and Mabona celebrated their finishes, for Belinda Mhlongo, deputy head in the office of the speaker at the eThekwini municipality and a woman’s leader at her church, the race ended in disappointment.
Mhlongo was cut off at the 67km mark, just 19km short of the finish line. She reached the mark in nine hours 55 minutes after starting in Group 3.
Despite not finishing, the mother of three from Umlazi said she was proud of herself.
“It’s a combination of feelings. While I’m disappointed with myself, I’m also very proud for having pushed until 67km through all odds, including cramping and a runny tummy,” she said.
“I was able to conquer all four major hills of the race — Cowies Hill, Fields Hill, Botha’s Hill and Inchanga — and only had Polly Shorts left.
“Although I didn’t see the finish line, pushing through all the day’s hardships made me realise that I’m stronger than I give myself credit for. I am coming back much stronger next year.”
TimesLIVE
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.