81-year-old bricklayer runs 87 km trail in under 10 hours

South Africa Mr Johannes Mosehla completed the long-running Comrades Marathon, a trail race of nearly 90 km, in 9 hours and 30 minutes.

Mosehla's exact time to complete the race was 9 hours 26 minutes 10 seconds, becoming the oldest person to complete the Comrades Marathon. Starting from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa, he crossed 5 rugged mountain ranges known as "The Big Five", mostly trails. The highest elevation was 870 meters above sea level. Then he had a long downhill stretch to finish in Durban on June 11. Also because of the gradual descent, the race is also called "Down".

This is the 10th time he has successfully conquered the world's oldest and largest ultra marathon. "I feel strong and can come back many more times," Mosehla said after the race, adding that he will continue to participate in 2024.

Mr. Mosehla participates in Comrades Marathon 2023. Photo: Running Magazine

Mosehla, from Polokwane, has been working as a construction worker for decades. He started running in 1963. The secret to his fitness at the age of 90 is regular training three times a week. The intensity of each training session ranges from 5 to 32 km. He is proud of what he has achieved and believes that he can motivate many people. "Age is just a number. I am 81 years old but I don't care about it. As long as I am healthy, I can still run," he said.

Mosehla's time of 9 hours 26 minutes 10 seconds also broke the decades-old record set by Wally Hayward in 1989. Hayward, then 80, finished the race in 10 hours 58 minutes, two minutes ahead of the cut-off time. Hayward's time wasn't the only record broken at this year's race. Tete Dijana of Rustenburg, South Africa, defended her title with a time of 5 hours 13 minutes 58 seconds, four minutes faster than David Gatebe's previous record set in 2016. Gerda Steyn of South Africa won the women's title in 5 hours 44 minutes 56 seconds, breaking compatriot Frith Van Der Merwe's 1989 record by nearly 10 minutes.

Comrades Marathon is the largest in the world. Photo: Run247

The Comrades Marathon is over 100 years old and is the oldest ultra marathon in the world. It started in 1921, but was interrupted for several years due to the World War and the Covid-19 pandemic. 2023 will be the 96th edition of the race, with over 27,000 participants. Each year, the organizers will reverse the starting position between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. This year, the terrain will gradually decrease, called "Down", and the following year, the terrain will gradually increase, called "Up".

Hoai Phuong (According to Running Magazine)

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