The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Mark Leathers, as the new Chairperson, and Nontuthuko Mashimane, as the new Vice Chairperson of the CMA Board. Their appointments follow the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the CMA, held on Saturday at Carter High School in Pietermaritzburg, which included the election of four Board members to complete the Board that will serve for the next 12 months.
Leathers brings a genuine passion for the Comrades Marathon to his new role, having run the race twice, earning two Robert Mtshali medals in 2024 and 2025, with finishing times of 9:25:18 and 9:17:18 respectively. In his first year on the Board in 2024/2025, he served as Vice-chairperson while also serving as chairperson of the Legal and Corporate Governance Sub-committee, availing his legal expertise counsel and expertise to the CMA.
“It’s an absolute honour to be elected as the incoming Chairperson of the Comrades Marathon Association, and a privilege to be involved in The Ultimate Human Race,” says Leathers. “Together with the Board for the new year, I undertake to work tirelessly to advance not only the race itself, but also the history and ethos of the event, and we will do so in conjunction with our partners, the team at Comrades House, and all stakeholders, including the running community,”
Similarly, Mashimane also brings a vast amount of expertise and passion for the event to her new role, having run the event seven times from 2015 to 2024, with a best time of 9:23:01, and having served on the Board in 2024/2025 while also chairing the CSI and Charities Sub-Committee. Under her leadership, this sub-committee raised a record-breaking amount of over R8 million for the CMA’s official charities, notably through Race4Charity donations by participants and through the Toyota-sponsored Win-a-Car Competition.
Mashimane says, “I’m deeply humbled and honoured to have been elected as the Vice Chairperson of the Comrades Marathon Association. This appointment is not just a personal milestone, but a reaffirmation of the trust, support and confidence that my colleagues and the broader Comrades family has placed in me. I step into the role of Vice Chairperson fully committed to strengthening our organisation, deepening our community impact, and helping lead the Comrades Marathon into a future defined by growth, excellence and inclusivity, especially as we approach our historic centenary.”
Leathers and Mashimane will lead the Board in its ongoing mission to promote and enhance the Comrades Marathon, ensuring its continued success and growth. This 2025/2026 Board’s immediate focus will be the 2026 edition of the race, taking place on Sunday 14 June, but also on the planning for the 2027 edition, which will mark the 100th running of the world’s oldest and most famous ultramarathon.
Outgoing Chairperson, Mqondisi Ngcobo, will remain on the Board to complete his current two-year term, but having already served two full terms as Chair of the Board – the maximum allowed by the CMA Constitution – he was not eligible to continue in that position. He says, “It was a singular honour and privilege for me to be afforded the opportunity to once again lead this 104-year-old Association. I would like to thank the Comrades Marathon Association, its members and elders, for bestowing upon me the great honour of leading this glorious Association, and I thank my family for allowing me to pursue my passion and to serve this greatest ultramarathon. I wish my successor all the best as he takes over the leadership of this gigantic event, and I pledge my unwavering support to the incoming Chairperson, Vice-chairperson and the entire Board.”
New Board in Place
The CMA Board is comprised of nine elected members, and has the right to co-opt two further members, should the need for specific skills or experience be identified. The elections for the Board are held annually at the AGM, with Board Members elected for a two-year term of office, and these elections are staggered in order to ensure continuity from one year to the next. This sees five members elected in ‘even years,’ and four in ‘odd years.’ (Once constituted, the Board can co-opt a further two members to address the need for specific skills or experience on the Board, and this saw Barry Holland and Lene Swart co-opted in January 2025 for the remainder of the 2024/2025 term.)
Therefore, five members of the 2024/2025 Board will automatically continue to serve on the Board in 2025/2026, namely Mqondisi Ngcobo, Mark Leathers, William Mtolo, Brenda Marolen and Carel Nolte. Four positions on the Board needed to be filled via the election process at this 2025 AGM, with retiring Board Members Rory Steyn, Alan Gray, Isaac Ngwenya, Nontuthuko Mashimane, Barry Holland and Lene Swart all making themselves available. Nominations were also received from CMA Members for Dr Phumelela Talent Vezi, Philemon Nkosi and Peter de Groot.
After voting was completed and four successful candidates were elected – Rory Steyn, Alan Gray, Nontuthuko Mashimane and Barry Holland – the new Board held its first official meeting, where the decision was taken to co-opt Lene Swart once again, as she brings vital experience in financial planning to the Board’s combined skillset.
The CMA Board for 2025/2026 is thus comprised as follows:
- Mark Leathers (Chairperson)
- Nontuthuko Mashimane (Vice Chairperson)
- Mqondisi Ngcobo
- William Mtolo
- Brenda Marolen
- Carel Nolte
- Rory Steyn
- Alan Gray
- Barry Holland
- Lene Swart (co-opted)
Until recently the Board also featured two ex officio members, representing Athletics South Africa (ASA) and KwaZulu-Natal Athletics (KZNA). An amendment to the CMA Constitution was proposed at this AGM, that the CMA withdraw as a special member of KZNA and rather seek to affiliate directly to ASA instead. This motion was passed, which also sees the Board position for KZNA fall away. “We would like to thank all from KZNA who have served and continue to support the CMA. This amendment to our structures is designed to achieve our strategic goals of international growth, professionalism, cost containment and a runner-focused approach, while better aligning our national event with the national federation,” explains Leathers.
Looking Ahead
“With our new leadership team in place, new Race Director Sue Forge having started work at the beginning of November, and entries for the 2026 race having sold out in a record 10 hours, the CMA is excited about the future,” says CMA General Manager Alain Dalais. “We are already well underway with planning for the 2026 race, as well as the 2027 Centenary edition, and runners can look forward to more innovations while still enjoying all the traditions and history that make this event iconic.”
“We would also like to thank all our CMA Members who took the time to be part of the AGM, whether in person in Pietermartizburg or attending online, and for submitting nominations and voting in the election process. The CMA is proud that our members are so actively involved in deciding the leadership and direction of the event, and we urge more Comrades Marathon runners and volunteers to become members, and play their part in the historic next few years of the race,” adds Dalais.