Big bucks for Comrades champ

Creating the first South African men and women’s win since 1992 prior to the lifting of the sporting islolation ban. Her win earned R375000 plus a bonus R175000 as first South African. In addition she will win the money for the hot spots at Drummond (R15000) and Lion Park (R20000) but all that was almost dwarfed by a R1.5 million time bonus for beating the best Up run time of 6:09:23 set by Elena Nurgalieva in 2006. 

The standard of Wostman performance was such that she missed that marker by only 3 minutes , the true quality of her run was to some extent disguised by the additional 877 metres in Pinetown to avoid Go Durban Rapid Transport road works. Equally impressive was the domination of Gift Kelehe who had well over seven minutes in hand when he took the tape in 5:38:36, to follow in his brother, Andrew’s, footsteps. 
 
Wostmann stole the limelight however with her mix of running and scheduled walks completely outrunning allcomers, including the Russian twins, Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva, who have dominated the podium at the Comrades since 2003. 
The 32 year old mother from Pretoria was a minute off  Yolande MacClean’s in fourth at Cowies Hill, but the running machine reeled in the twins, and McClean before Drummond which she hit in 3 hours 10 minutes, and then proceeded to open the 90 second lead to a massive six minutes by Cato Ridge. 
 
“I never knew what was going on behind me,” said Wostmann. “The last split I got was from Lindsay (Parry) who told me the twins were a minute and half behind. I was expecting them to pass so tried to keep the pace on.” That lead extended to a massive 14 minutes by the highest point. “I was never aware of being close to the record. I was struggling over the last 20km and walked more, but was able to maintain my average pace by increasing speed when running,” continued Wostmann who progressed from 500th at Cowies to 25th at the finish.
“To win is incredible, and with Charne second its sepcial as she has been one of my inspirations to improve,” said Wostmann who travels through to Wits each day and trains over many of the routes Bruce Fordyce used in the 1980’s. 
“It shows the improvement that South African women are making and I think there is much more to come in the future. I hope that we can soon select a team to compete in the World 100km: I think we can bring back the Gold medals,” coninued Wostman who is the first South African since Frith van der Merwe in 1989, to win both the Two Oceans and Comrades in the same year, something that Elena Nurgalieva has achieved. 
 
Her comment brought joculare reaction from Joasia Zakrzewski, who reminded those present that the UK team may object as current champions. The Scot Doctor finished 8th in 7:00:45, and was part of the winning UK 100km team in Doha in November. 
 
Although over 22 minutes adrift, the largest victory difference since Frith van der Merwe’s 1991’s victory over Heleen Reece, Bosman had an equally impressive carve through the field lying tenth and 836th overall at Cowies, moved up to sixth at Drummond and accounted for Nina Podnebesnova by Cato Ridge, then taking the twins on the downhill section to Polly shortts. 
 
“ I had been told to hold back until 60km. I felt great and couldn’t wait so I could go,” said Bosman, who first started her international marathon career at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. “I caught Nina, then saw two (escort) bikes ahead and knew it was the twins. I just felt so strong and passing runners just made me stronger.” 
Bosman was running away from the men as she made her final drive around the oval to finish 50th overall and give South Africa its first 1-2 finish since before the lifting of the international sporting ban in 1992. 
 
Elena  and Olesya Nurgalieva, who will become 40 plus in January, fought on bravely with Elena edging into the Podium for third positon in  6:40:36  
 
For Gift Kelehe it was the fulfilment of a a prediction made with his brother Andrew at the Comrades House Museum before the race. “We looked at all the winners photos in the museum. The space for the 2015 winners photo is directly below mine for 2001, and I told Gift ‘this is the space where your photo will be’.   He has made me, the family, the police and South Africa proud today,” said the 2001 winner and ten-time gold medallist.  The Kelehe’s become the first brothers to win Comrades in the 90 year history. 

“This has been a long progression,” said the eight time finisher. “I was 5th in 2011, 8th in 2012, couldn’t finish due to stress fracture in 2013, and third last year, so this was long due, and I will be back to win again next year,” said the Samancor Chrome athlete, who took the lead on the hill often referred to as ‘the one your mother forgot to tell you about’ outside Camperdown passing Ethiopian Mohammed Husein who had stopped with pain in his right leg. 

From there Kelehe looked like a winner over the final 24 kilometres, and at one point the 33 year old was on pace to break five and a half hourse. Zimbabwean Hatiwande Nyamande looked the potential second place as they headed towads Tumble Inn and the dual climb of little and big Polly Shortts, but an amazing recovery by Husein, who has a 2:12 marathon best, saw him regain the runner up position to finish seven minutes adrift in 5:46:14, with Nyamande a further two minutes off the mark closing the podium. 
 
Although the early fliers went out in search of the hot spot prizes, the main pack commenced at a conservative pace. 
“It was slow for quite a while, but everyone was content with that,” said Gift, “Ludwick (Mamabola) said come guys its time to move… but someone said ‘we’re happy you go if you want!’ That was the way of the pack.”  
 
1.    Thuso Mosiea won the tenth and final gold medal in 5:59:08 and there were no Wally Hayward medals awarded for finishing                  outside gold but under six hours. 
2.    Vasily Larkin, a 22 year old tipped to be a top gold in future, was the first silver medalist 
3.    413 runners earned the Silver medal in under 7 hours 30 minutes 
4.    1679  runners  won Bill Rowan medals with Sbusiso Sishi of Scottburgh and Trust Langa from Nedbank JHB tieing for last Bill              Rowan in 8:59:59.
5.    There were 22373 entries and 15961 starters. 
  
Men:

1. Gift Kelehe  Samancor  5:38:36

2. Mohammed Husein  ETH Nedbank  5:46:14 

3. Hatiwande Nyamande ZIM F1 Xclaibre Running 5:48:19   

4. Lebohang Monyele LES Maxed Elite 5:52:32 

5. Teboho Sello  Maxed Elite Pro 5:54:03

6. Joseph Mphuthi  Sibanye Gold Beatrix Mine  5:54:29  

7. Claude Moshiywa  Nedbank  5:55:17 

8. Stephen Muzhingi  Fast Way 5:56:36  

9. Sandile Ngunuza Nedbank EP 5:57:08

10. Thuso Mosiea  Maxed Elite  5:59:08
 
Women:

1 caroline Wostmann Nedbank 6:12:22  

2.  Charne Bosman Nedbank 6:33:24  

3. Elena Nurgalieva RUS Vitality 6:40:36

4. Olesya Nurgalieva RUS Vitality 6:41:18   

5. Nina Podnesbesnova RUS 6:41:48 6 Elle Greenwood GBR    

7  Emmerentia Rautenbach Nedbank 6:45:22 

8. Joasia Zakrzewski Nedbank 7:00:45 

9. Simona Staicu Nedbank 7:01:14 

10. Yolande Maclean Born2Run 7:01:49

(Photo via Twitter, @ComradesRace)