Two-time champion Tete Dijana to miss 2024 Comrades Marathon

Comrades Marathon winner Tete Dijana has shared his ambitions after bagging this year’s crown in Pietermaritzburg.

After defending his crown, Dijana said he wants to rest and might miss next year’s edition of the race, saying his mission is to participate in the Olympics.

The security officer scooped a cool R500,000 cheque for winning Sunday’s race, R500,000 for setting a new Down best time with his 5 hr 13 min 58-sec effort, and another R200,000 for being the first South African home.

He said he wants to be part of the South African Olympic team for the Paris Games next year and will miss the Comrades event.

https://twitter.com/nedbanksport/status/1667820574008045570

“I’m just going to rest for a month and see which marathon I can go and run,” said Dijana.

He also said he wants to try his luck at the Cape Town Marathon and see how he will perform there and that his aim is to achieve a better time, maybe running sub 2:09, 2:08.

“I would love [to go the Olympics],” added Dijana, who set the 2:39:04 world 50km record in Gqeberha earlier this year, breaking Stephen Mokoka’s mark in February.

The Olympic marathon is scheduled for August 11 2024 and it will be stage nine weeks after the June 9 Comrades, making it impossible to do both.

 
As things stand as far as records are concerned, Zimbabwe’s Stephen Muzhingi remains the only man to have won three straight Comrades titles this millennium and he joins the likes of Bruce Fordyce, Alan Robb, Dave Bagshaw, and Arthur Newton.

As a father of two, the 35-year-old Dijana had to take leave to train and run the race, and said his legs were sore after the demanding race – he received congratulatory messages from social media users.

https://twitter.com/GildenhuysLiezl/status/1667838741753241600

@Mother Hen said:

“Shuuuu! My blood pressure went up the roof here.”

@Miss Vee wrote:

“Tete please you need to buy a lollipop for my 4-year-old. He kept saying Malume is too fast, my daddy is not going to win. He is really sad now that you’ve crossed the finish line. Well done Malume .”

Main Image: Tete Dijana/DailyMaverick

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