South African long distance runner Tete Dijana (R) reacts next to runner up Netherland's Piet Wiersma (L) after passing the finish line winning and setting a new record in the 89 kilometres Mens Comrades Marathon between Pietermaritzburg and Durban on June 11, 2023. Following Dijana is second place Piet Wiersma from Netherlands Piet Wiersma (left) will be testing out his speed at the Hollywood Bets Durban 10km race. Picture: Rajesh Jantilal/AFP
Comrades Marathon Up Run champion Piet Wiersma is excitedly looking forward to testing his speed against South Africa’s 10km specialists in Sunday’s Hollywood Bets Durban 10km race.
The ‘flying Dutchman’ is in the middle of his preparations for the Valencia Marathon and has decided to come down from his camp in Kenya to run against the country’s ever-growing sub-28 minute gang. The group includes the race’s defending champion Kabelo Mulaudzi, the stalwarts Elroy Gelant and Stephen Mokoka as as well as Thabang Mosiako.
“It’s been six years since my last 10k race and if if I don’t run a few minutes below my personal best then I will be playing,” Wiersma said at the pre-race media conference on Friday.
The man who broke South African hearts in June by becoming the first foreigner to win the Comrades title since Stephen Muzhingi in 2011 would not say what his 10km PB is.
This sprint finish between Tete Dijana and Piet Wiersma was epic! 😮💨 #MoreThanAClub #Comrades2023pic.twitter.com/Say26asABq
— Nedbank Sport (@nedbanksport) June 11, 2023
“I can’t tell you that,” he laughed, adding that people find it surprising that he is going down in distance because he has inspired them to want to take up Comrades.
“I have the ambition of running a marathon. I want to drop down and I am halfway through my training in Kenya and I am now focusing on speed work. I’d love to run with these guys, it will improve my speed.”
Wiersma – who made up for his 2023 Comrades runner-up finish by winning the 2024 Up Run at a canter - boasts a 2:18:59 marathon PB which he ran in February last year and has intentions of dropping it to about 2:10 in Valencia on December 1.
He would not do any worse than chasing the likes of Mulaudzi on the pretty fast course in a race expected to deliver the national record with the organisers having dangled a carrot R50 000 to anyone who dips under Precius Mashele’s 27:35. And with the winner’s prize money of R37 5000 –the biggest pay cheque in SA 10km running – there is every reason to expect a very fast race.
As the man to beat having won the title last year, Mulaudzi was not about to add any more unnecessary burden of expectation on himself with bold pronouncements.
“Yes the course is nice and fast but I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself. I just want to finish on the podium. Last year was my best season ever and this year I told myself I want to be consistent with the podium finishes. Durban is the place to run sub 28 minutes.”
Mosiako has run many of those, but goes into the race on the back of a highly publicised and nasty parting of ways with his former coach Mike Mbambani as well as not being fully fit as he’s recovering from an injury.
But he says he remains focused and the reason he has managed to consistently run sub-28 minutes races is because he has upped his mileage in training.
SA Marathon runner-up and Hollywood Athletics Club’s Matthews Leeto will also be looking to be on the podium in his club’s race, after taking some time to rest following his impressive showing in the national 42.195km championships.
In the women’s race title holder Cian Oldknow will be looking to use the race as build-up to next month’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
IOL Sport
Related Topics: