Three-time Comrades Marathon champion Tete Dijana believes he is ready for Sunday's 2026 Comrades Marathon – a race that could see the North-West University (NWU) protection officer make history.
Dijana, who won the Comrades Marathon in 2022, 2023 and 2025, will line up among the favourites for the 89-kilometre up run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. A victory would secure his fourth Comrades title and make him the first black athlete to win the race four times.
The Mahikeng-based runner says months of preparation have left him confident ahead of one of the toughest tests in ultramarathon running.
“My preparation went well for the up run. Everything is in good shape. I am confident for Sunday because I am in Mpumalanga for high-altitude training in Dullstroom. This is going to help me perform on Sunday and secure a better position,” said Dijana.
Dijana's rise from security officer to one of South Africa's leading long-distance runners has become one of the country's most remarkable sporting stories. Earlier this year, the NWU appointed him as a protection officer, formalising a long-standing relationship with an athlete who has become a source of pride for the university community.
The Comrades Marathon returns to the up-run route this year, a course regarded by many runners as one of the most demanding in the history of the event. Dijana's three previous victories all came on the down run, making Sunday's challenge unique in his quest for another title.
“Having achieved three Comrades victories, all on the down run, winning the up run will be a big achievement because I am going to be the first black man to win the Comrades four times,” he said.
The NWU community will be among those rallying behind Dijana and other participants representing the institution. The NWU principal and vice-chancellor, Prof. Mzubanzi Bismark Tyobeka, described the university's runners as ambassadors who embody resilience and determination.
“These participants are ambassadors of the NWU, and they are a testament to our individual and collective enduring human spirit. We are proud of them beyond measure,” said Prof. Tyobeka.
He called on staff, students, alumni, friends and partners of the university to support those taking part in the ultramarathon.
“We wish them good health and strength to achieve their goals and showcase the athletic tenacity and excellence of the NWU.”
More than 20 000 runners are expected to participate in the world's oldest and largest ultramarathon on Sunday. For Dijana, the race presents an opportunity not only to add another Comrades title to his collection, but also to cement his place among the greatest athletes in the history of the event.
As the countdown to race day draws closer, the NWU community will be watching closely as one of its own pursues a place in the record books.
Tete secured his third Comrades title in 2025, completing the 98,98 km distance from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in a time of five hours, 25 minutes and 28 seconds.
