Tete Dijana had to exorcise 'the devil' of 2024 to take back Comrades Marathon title

As Tete Dijana came towards the business end of Sunday’s Comrades Marathon, there may have been a few worrying flashbacks from what transpired the year before.

In the 2024 “up-run”, Dijana went off the boil towards the end of the race, struggling with dizziness and cramps to eventually finish 14th.

But in 2025 he wouldn’t be denied, exorcising those demons to win his third Comrades Marathon title in time of five hours, 25 minutes 27 (5:25:28) in a tense finish in Durban on Sunday.

Dijana out-duelled defending champion Piet Wiersma, to add to the titles he won in 2022 and 2023. Wiersma crossed the line (5:25:33) less than 10 seconds after Dijana. Nikolai Volkov was third in 5:29:42.

The 37-year-old Dijana was a ball of excitement after crossing the line, with emotions of relief and joy pouring out as he clutched the victory ribbon at the finish line.

“After the 2024 Comrades I was very sick, physically and emotionally,” Dijana said after the race.

“I was also emotional because I remember what happened last year. Because I was in the best shape [in 2024], but the devil came, so I was happy that at least the devil didn’t attack me this year.

“I can say that I was getting pressure from social media, where people were saying, ‘Don’t let it go again’, so I had to fix everything.”

Dijana credited the fans for their support along the route, which saw him push through to finish with a sensational “kick” to see off Dutchman Piet Wiersma, who complained about a possible bout of food poisoning after the race.

“These people were the ones who managed to uplift my spirit when I was down last year, because after Comrades I was very, very sick, emotionally and physically,.

“When I was training, I told myself that this year I wasn’t going to run for myself, I was going to run for them.

“This is for you guys [his fans] for always cheering me up because I was down last year — I didn’t know what happened.

“It took time for me to adjust and accept the situation that happened last year, but with their support and my partner’s support, I managed, so I’d say this race was for them.”

@JohnGoliath82