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Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies ready for Comrades

- Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ University

Twelve Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies are preparing to test their endurance in this year's Comrades Marathon.

From a first-time participant to a statistician taking on his 18th Comrades, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies will push the limits of endurance as they tackle the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon.

Eleven Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ies will be running the Comrades Marathon

The 2026 Comrades Marathon marks the 99th edition of the iconic ultra-marathon. This year's Up Run starts in Durban and finishes in Pietermaritzburg, covering a distance of 85.777 km. Approximately 22,000 athletes are expected to participate in what is known as The Ultimate Human Race.

Ska Fela Moya

The official slogan for the 2026 Comrades Marathon is Ska Fela Moya, a Setswana phrase meaning don't give up or never lose hope. According to the organisers, the slogan “represents the ultimate mantra for runners pushing through physical pain, extreme fatigue and self-doubt during The Ultimate Human Race.”

We wish all members of the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ community and athletes the very best for race day. Look out for their stories on the Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ intranet.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ participants:

  1. Ronnett Diale, Technical Principal, School of Electrical and Information Engineering – 1st Comrades
  2. Mpho Gegana, Senior Technician, School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies – 2nd Comrades
  3. Dr Lerato Mokoloko, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Chemistry – 3rd Comrades
  4. Mpho Mosabala, Lecturer, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ School of Education – 3rd Comrades
  5. Sakhiwo Mgcineni, Facilities Technical Supervisor, Operations and Facilities Management Department – 4th Comrades 
  6. Dr Phuluso Mudau, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences – 4th Comrades
  7. Dr Sabetha Mapetla, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Chemistry – 4th Comrades
  8. Dr Siyabonga Kunene, Senior Lecturer, Physiotherapy Department – 5th Comrades
  9. Mphidiseng Zwane, Operations Manager, School of Public Health – 5th Comrades
  10. David Wafula Wanyonyi, Digital Officer, Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ ICT – 7th Comrades
  11. Caroline Cherry, Lecturer, School of Accountancy – 9th Comrades
  12. Dr Dipuo Masege, Academic Head: Ear, Nose and Throat Division – 11th Comrades

  13. Mark Dowdeswell, Statistician and Lecturer, School of Statistics and Actuarial Science – 18th Comrades

Physiotherapy Students Provide Relief to Athletes

The Physiotherapy Department will once again send a team of final-year undergraduate Physiotherapy students to provide support services at the event. The initiative is coordinated by Dr Siyabonga Kunene, who is running his fifth Comrades Marathon this year.

Kunene also hosts the  podcast, which helps active people move better, train smarter and stay healthy for life – without burnout or avoidable injuries.

For colleagues considering taking on the challenge of distance running, the message from David Wafula is straightforward: “Put one foot in front of the other. Repeat. Next thing, you have conquered that marathon. Literally and figuratively”.

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Trivia

Caroline Wostmann CA(SA), then a Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ Accounting lecturer, was the first woman to cross the finish line at the 2015 Two Oceans Marathon. She completed the 56 km ultra-marathon in a time of 3:41:23, becoming the first South African woman in 14 years to win the title.

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