The organisers of the Legends 68km ultra-marathon have excitedly released the name of Gift Kelehe as a confirmed entrant to the 2017 chapter of their race on Sunday September 24.
Legends chairman, Luthando Bara, expressed that “the response we are receiving across the board – from Comrades winners to average runners – is most heartwarming and is confirmation that Legends, as a brand, is very strong.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to build Legends still further in the years to come and thus leave a substantial legacy to sport in the Eastern Cape,” he said.
Kelehe won the Comrades Marathon in 2015 and finished third in May this year. Both races were up runs from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, but the downhill nature of the Legends should hold little concern for the flying policeman who runs in the colours of Tom Tom AC.
In 2014, on the down run, Kelehe was also third, in a time of 5:34:39, which is also his fastest Comrades time. The two up run times were 5:38:36 and 5:41:48 respectively.
Interestingly Kelehe came into the 2015 race as odds-on favourite and was incredibly composed at the media briefing the day before the race. It came as no surprise to anyone that he would indeed win. And he did, beating off the second placed Mohammed Husien by a massive 7:38.
This year Comrades was won for the second time by Bongmusa Mthembu who was also the 2014 winner, with Hatiwande Nyamande of Zimbabwe in second place. The year Kelehe won, Nyamande came third.
Mthembu is one of the few runners to win both the up and down Comrades in modern history.
Gift Kelehe is the brother of Andrew, who won Comrades in 2001.
Andrew’s other top Comrades placings were second in 1999 and third in 2005 at the age of 40. All three were down runs, with a best time of 5:25:52, in the year that he won.
So thus far the Comrades winners who are confirmed in the field are Mthembu, the younger Kelehe and Ludwick Mamabolo, who won in 2012 and was second in both 2014 and 16, while this year he finished fourth.
Thus without even branching out into likely Two Oceans pedigree, the Legends stand tall, with the quality of ultra runners lining up to tackle the road between the Eastern Cape’s legislative capital of Bhisho and East London.
East London’s own Comrades and Two Oceans gold medallist, Stephanie Smith says “the fact that four Comrades Marathon winners will be racing in the men’s division of the Legends 68km sets the scene for a very exciting race. That Buffalo City can put on such a show over four distances on September 24 augurs well for our future in the sport”.
Bassie Mbenya, one of Border’s all-time best roadrunners and a member of the SA Legendary Runners Association headed up by Xolile Yawa, said yesterday that he is “very happy with the direction that Bara is taking the event. The fact that there are already three Comrades winners entered into the 68km and that the 60:11 Half-Marathon is now in the fold is very exciting indeed.”
It is expected that a number of other big names entering into the 68km men’s field will be announced shortly, but there is clearly already much to be positive about.
Legends all braced for a Flying Cop: Comrades champ will take his place in startling blocks
Legends chairman, Luthando Bara, expressed that “the response we are receiving across the board – from Comrades winners to average runners – is most heartwarming and is confirmation that Legends, as a brand, is very strong.
“We will continue to work tirelessly to build Legends still further in the years to come and thus leave a substantial legacy to sport in the Eastern Cape,” he said.
Kelehe won the Comrades Marathon in 2015 and finished third in May this year. Both races were up runs from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, but the downhill nature of the Legends should hold little concern for the flying policeman who runs in the colours of Tom Tom AC.
In 2014, on the down run, Kelehe was also third, in a time of 5:34:39, which is also his fastest Comrades time. The two up run times were 5:38:36 and 5:41:48 respectively.
Interestingly Kelehe came into the 2015 race as odds-on favourite and was incredibly composed at the media briefing the day before the race. It came as no surprise to anyone that he would indeed win. And he did, beating off the second placed Mohammed Husien by a massive 7:38.
This year Comrades was won for the second time by Bongmusa Mthembu who was also the 2014 winner, with Hatiwande Nyamande of Zimbabwe in second place. The year Kelehe won, Nyamande came third.
Mthembu is one of the few runners to win both the up and down Comrades in modern history.
Gift Kelehe is the brother of Andrew, who won Comrades in 2001.
Andrew’s other top Comrades placings were second in 1999 and third in 2005 at the age of 40. All three were down runs, with a best time of 5:25:52, in the year that he won.
So thus far the Comrades winners who are confirmed in the field are Mthembu, the younger Kelehe and Ludwick Mamabolo, who won in 2012 and was second in both 2014 and 16, while this year he finished fourth.
Thus without even branching out into likely Two Oceans pedigree, the Legends stand tall, with the quality of ultra runners lining up to tackle the road between the Eastern Cape’s legislative capital of Bhisho and East London.
East London’s own Comrades and Two Oceans gold medallist, Stephanie Smith says “the fact that four Comrades Marathon winners will be racing in the men’s division of the Legends 68km sets the scene for a very exciting race. That Buffalo City can put on such a show over four distances on September 24 augurs well for our future in the sport”.
Bassie Mbenya, one of Border’s all-time best roadrunners and a member of the SA Legendary Runners Association headed up by Xolile Yawa, said yesterday that he is “very happy with the direction that Bara is taking the event. The fact that there are already three Comrades winners entered into the 68km and that the 60:11 Half-Marathon is now in the fold is very exciting indeed.”
It is expected that a number of other big names entering into the 68km men’s field will be announced shortly, but there is clearly already much to be positive about.
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos