Which Comrades runner got stalked the most?
The race was epic… but the tracking stats? Even wilder. Who made the top 5? You’ll never guess.
As the Comrades dust settles and runners everywhere try to remember what their toenails used to look like, we’ve been geeking out over some juicy stats from this year’s Down Run.
The 98th edition of the Comrades Marathon was one for the history books.
Not only did it boast a record Down Run field with 18,194 finishers out of 20,972 starters (give those feet a round of applause), but it also introduced a split start for the first time ever.
Runners were split into two groups for safety reasons, and the result? Everyone was across the start line in under six minutes.
No more endless shuffling like sardines on the starting line.
South Africa’s Tete Dijana and Gerda Steyn proved once again that they’re basically built different.
Tete claimed his third title in 5:25:28, while Gerda made it four wins with a speedy 5:51:19.
She didn’t just win the race, she absolutely owned the tracking stats too.
The real race: Who got stalked the most?
Now, here’s where it gets fun. Every year, thousands of people hit “track runner” on the app like they’re refreshing a Tinder match.
This year, out of more than 22,000 runners, guess who made it into the elite top 20 most-tracked athletes?
Our boy Schalk Bezeidenhout clocked in at a whopping 11,224 times tracked, making him the 5th most-followed runner on the course. That’s a lot of people checking up on Schalk. We see you, fans.
Representing for the Chommies, Caitlin Hood strutted into 19th place with 2,999 times tracked. Not bad for someone who probably just wanted to cross the finish line without breaking a sweat.
Of course, Gerda Steyn wasn’t just winning medals, she also won the popularity contest too, being tracked a ridiculous 52,630 times.
Tete Dijana also landed third in the tracking stakes with 24,208 track-happy followers.
So there you have it; another wild, wonderful Comrades filled with speedsters, surprises, and serious app-refreshing action.
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