83-year-old bricklayer completes 87 km ultramarathon in under 12 hours

Johannes Mosehla during the 2025 Comrades Marathon in South Africa. Photo by Comrades Marathon

Starting in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa on June 8, Mosehla completed the challenging course, through five steep mountain climbs dubbed "The Big Five", in 11 hours, 47 minutes and 10 seconds. The route, which descends to Durban and is referred to as the "down" course, features a maximum elevation of 870 m above sea level.

With an average pace of 7 minutes and 31 seconds per kilometer, Mosehla finished comfortably ahead of the 12-hour cutoff. This marks his 11th Comrades Marathon and follows his 2023 record as the oldest finisher at age 81.

A lifelong bricklayer from Polokwane, Mosehla began running in 1963 and trains three times a week, with sessions ranging from 5 to 32 kilometers. Despite his age, he has no plans to retire.

"You can't win without training," he told Canadian Running Magazine.

The Comrades Marathon, founded in 1921, is the world's oldest ultramarathon. The 2027 edition will mark the race's 100th anniversary.

Its route alternates annually between the "down" course, run this year from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, and the "up" course, which reverses the route.

In this year's edition, Tete Dijana claimed his third men's title in 5 hours, 25 minutes and 28 seconds, while Gerda Steyn won her fourth women's title in 5 hours, 51 minutes and 19 seconds.