The North West Premier Bushy Maape has congratulated the 95th Comrades Marathon winner Tete Dijana on his victory.
The race resumed this year after a two-year gap because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Dijana who is a security guard obtained position one in a time of five-hours 30-minutes and 35-seconds.
Former winner, Edward Mothibi, who is also from the province came in second. Mothibi was defending his 2019 Comrades title in the down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
The duo had dominated the marathon from the halfway point.
Adel Broodryk was third in the women’s race.
North West communities are celebrating the sterling performances of their athletes. Maape’s spokesperson Brian Setswangbung says the premier is proud of the three.
Photo Gallery: 2022 Comrades Marathon by Sandile Zikhali
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Dijana says he is yet to decide what to do with his R260 000 in prize money.
“I do not know what I can say but coming to that I wont leave my job. I will keep on working, trying to balance what I have and what God gave me today, but I do not know, it is the experience for now. I do not know but I think I should have an advisor on what I should do but it really changed my life a lot.”
Meanwhile, North West Sports MEC Virginia Tlhapi has congratulated Dijana and Mothibi.
Tlhapi says both athletes have made the province proud.
Tete Morena and Alexandra Morozova wins Comrades Marathon:
Prize-giving ceremony
The Comrades Marathon Association will host the race’s prize-giving ceremony in Durban on Monday morning.
However, Russian athlete and Comrades Marathon women’s race winner Alexandra Morozova will not receive her winnings pending a court case due to take place in November following a supposed directive from World Athletics, based on Russia’s current invasion of Ukraine.
The High Court in Pietermaritzburg ruled on Saturday that Morozova could run after she successfully lodged an interdict against the association.
Morozova’s legal team is expected back in court in November to argue that she is eligible to claim her prize money.
