Pre-Race Favourites
The men’s race was expected to be tightly contested. Defending up run champion Piet Wiersma of the Netherlands returned after back-to-back podium finishes, including a second-place result in the previous down run. His chief rival was likely to be Tete Dijana, the winner of the 2023 and 2022 down runs, who aimed to reclaim his title. 2024 runner-up Dan Moselakwe was another strong contender, known for his remarkable comeback to elite competition after personal challenges. South African veteran Joseph Manyedi, who previously clocked a personal best of 5:28:33 in 2024 to finish fourth, entered his ninth Comrades with four gold medals to his name. Former champion Edward Mothibi (2019) rounded out a strong field.
The women’s race presented a contrasting dynamic, with Gerda Steyn entering as the clear front-runner. Steyn, a three-time winner and record-holder on both the up and down routes, was widely expected to add a fourth title to her name. Her dominance in South Africa’s major ultra-distance events left her without a close rival heading into the 2025 edition. [2] [3]
Race logistics and participation
The race had 22,670 qualified entrants, with approximately 20,000 expected to line up at the start, making it potentially the largest 'down' run in Comrades history. [4] Over 80 countries were represented, including 3,064 international runners. A revised two-wave start sent off elite and seeded athletes first, followed by a second group of around 10,000 runners, each subdivided into smaller batches 15 minutes later. Along the route, over 5,000 volunteers staffed refreshment stations stocked with 2.2 million water sachets, 600,000 sports drink sachets, 40,000 litres of soft drinks, and several tons of fruit, potatoes, and snacks to support competitors throughout the day. [5]
The average age of the field was 44.5. [4] The oldest entrant was 83-year-old Johannes Maros Mosehla, who aimed to break his own record as the oldest Comrades Marathon finisher. Mosehla first ran the race at 63 and had since completed ten editions. He was joined by fellow octogenarian Matule Headbush (80). [6] Louis Massyn was targeting to become the first person to achieve 50 Comrades medals. [4]
