Green Dream Team Delivers on Every Front
The 2026 Comrades Marathon will go down as one of the most successful in Nedbank Running Club history. The club celebrated an incredible six men's gold medals and three women's gold medals, while athletes claimed multiple podium finishes and age category honours. The Green Dream Team's depth and consistency were further rewarded with two team prizes, highlighting the strength of the club from front to back.
COMRADES MARATHON 2026
Nedbank Running Club Gauteng North's George Kusche delivered one of the club's greatest-ever performances, winning the 2026 Comrades Marathon in a phenomenal 5:15:56 and setting a new course record in the process.
The Green Dream Team's strength ran deep through the men's field. Piet Wiersma crossed the line in 2nd place (5:19:36), while Alex Milne finished 4th (5:22:29) and Haruki Okayama 5th (5:24:46).
Lloyd Bosman produced a sensational Comrades Marathon debut to finish 7th overall in 5:28:53, crossing the line as the 3rd South African man and first SWD athlete home. Nikolai Volkov followed in 8th place (5:28:59), while Sithembiso Mqhele finished 13th (5:31:33), Olle Meijer 18th (5:34:20) and Pule Sibeko 19th (5:34:29).
On the women's side, Naomi Robinson led the Green Team home in 5th place (6:07:55), followed by Loveness Madziva in 6th (6:09:54) and Dikeledi Majara in 8th (6:12:29). Alena Tatarinova (11th), Jenna Challenor (12th), Maretha Smit (15th) and Jeannie Henderson (20th) rounded out a superb day for the club's women.
In the age categories, Nikolai Volkov topped the M40-49 division, Jenna Challenor claimed silver in the W40-49 category, and Nerida Lubbe struck gold in the W50-59 division.
The club also celebrated success in the team competition, securing two prestigious team prizes, further underlining the strength and depth of the Green Dream Team across both the men's and women's fields.
COMRADES MARATHON 2026: GEORGE KUSCHE ON A RECORD-BREAKING DAY
Following his historic victory and course record performance, George Kusche reflected on a race that unfolded almost exactly as he had hoped.
George revealed that his race strategy involved taking a calculated gamble early on.
"The day went as well as I could have hoped. It's obviously a very gruelling race, but I took a chance to drop the pack relatively early in the race. It was a huge risk - a high-risk, high-reward situation."
While he knew his preparation had put him in a position to attempt such a move, he also understood the challenge that lay ahead.
"Based on the training I've been doing, I knew it was possible, but even knowing that, it was still going to be a stretch."
The bold move paid off, allowing George to build a lead that he would never surrender on his way to victory.
Interestingly, the new course record was not something he was actively tracking during the race.
"I never looked at the time, so I didn't know I was going to break the record."
It was only in the closing kilometres that the possibility became real.
"With about a kilometre or two left, I looked at the bakkie in front of me and worked it out in my head. I realised that even if I slowed down quite a bit, I would still get under the record time."
Despite leading the race, George admitted he never truly felt comfortable until the finish line was behind him.
"I was afraid of being caught the whole time. When I crossed the finish line, that's when I knew I had it. It was a massive relief."
The result capped off a remarkable day for both George and the Green Dream Team, delivering one of the most memorable performances in Nedbank Running Club history.
COMRADES MARATHON 2026: NAOMI ROBINSON REFLECTS ON TOP-FIVE FINISH
Reflecting on her race, Naomi revealed that she executed her race plan almost perfectly. Her strategy was to remain patient during the early stages of the race, sitting around tenth position for the first few hours before gradually working her way through the field.
By the final 15km, Naomi had moved herself into 4th place and was on track with her planned race splits. After receiving feedback from National Manager Nick Bester along the route, she decided to put in a surge and attempt to chase down third place and a spot on the podium.
Although the effort took its toll in the closing kilometres and she slipped back to 5th place with approximately 3km remaining, Naomi has no regrets.
"I don't regret putting my efforts into making the top three. I learned a lot in my first Up Run."
Naomi also paid tribute to her training partners and support team who helped prepare her for the challenge.
"I am so grateful to Dominika, Deanné, Loveness and Dikeledi, who I got to train with in Dullstroom in preparation for the event, as well as Nick for his advice on how to tackle the Up Run."
Having now experienced both the Up Run and Down Run, Naomi is already setting her sights on next year's historic 100th Comrades Marathon.
"My ambition is to race right from the start next year and achieve something special for Nedbank in the 100th race."
A top-five finish, first Green Dream Team woman home and a valuable learning experience on the Up Run made it a memorable Comrades Marathon for Naomi Robinson and an exciting platform to build from ahead of the 100th running of The Ultimate Human Race.
FROM THE DESK OF THE NATIONAL MANAGER
Nick Bester reflects on an unforgettable Comrades Marathon
When asked about the club's success at the 2026 Comrades Marathon, Nick Bester said:
"What a day as Manager of Nedbank Running Club National and our Green Dream Team. Supported by Nedbank Sport, Nick B Sport Promotions, NMI, Biogen, Nike, Nike Vision and Thirsti Water, it was another special day for the club.
A huge thank you to our athletes, team managers, assistant coaches, drivers, medical and physio support teams, branding officers, social media personnel, influencers, club committees and managers. Once again, it was an oiled machine operating on all cylinders on fire.
We planned and executed a dominant Comrades Marathon 2026 campaign despite the fact that we started by planning and recruiting a brand-new team. Our goal was to compete for honours across the majority of categories and team competitions on offer, and the athletes delivered.
One of the highlights was seeing our 'babies' win the Elite Team Prize. They are the future race winners. As Mthandeni Nene showed, the future of the Green Dream Team is incredibly bright and there is much more to come.
Words and explanation cannot fully describe the amount of work that happens behind the scenes to make a campaign like this successful.
Well done to Sue-Ellen Forge, Mark Leathers and the rest of the Comrades House team for lifting the standards of what remains the most competitive ultra-distance road race in the world.
Finally, thank you to our sponsors, Nedbank Sport, supporters and everyone who played a role in making this campaign a success - we just did it AGAIN."
COMRADES MARATHON 2026: CATCHING UP WITH LLOYD BOSMAN
One of the standout performances of the day came from Lloyd Bosman, whose debut Comrades Marathon exceeded expectations.
Reflecting on his race, Lloyd said:
"The race was hard, but that's what makes it nice. When it's hard, there are challenges. My goal was to finish in the Top 10 and earn a gold medal position."
Speaking about what the achievement means to him, Lloyd admitted:
"It still feels unreal. I'm really happy and proud of myself."
Lloyd also credited his preparation, including a training camp in Dullstroom with Nick Bester.
"Being under someone like Nick Bester is a blessing. I learned a lot from that camp."
Lloyd ended by thanking God for the performance and the Green Team support along the route.
"I can only thank God for this performance. He was with me every step of the way. And a big thank you to the Nedbank team out on the route - you were amazing."