Russian wins Comrades marathon

JOHANNESBURG – Russian Leonid Shvetsov won South Africa’s toughest ultra-marathon in record time yesterday, shattering the 21-year record of South African Bruce Fordyce.

The 38-year-old finished the 89-kilometre race in five hours, 20 minutes and 49 seconds, nearly four minutes faster than nine-times winner Fordyce’s 5:24:07 record, reported the Sapa news agency. The winner gets a cash prize of R200 000 , and Shvetsov will also receive a 100-ounce gold statuette for breaking the record.”I just maintained my average pace of 3:35 per kilometre and it paid off handsomely, I am thrilled beyond words,” the Russian said after the race run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province.His countryman Grigory Murzin took second place in 5:30:20.The first local athlete to cross the finish line was Mncedisi Mkhize, who clocked 5:32:58 for third place.Russia also took the top three women spots, with Olesya Nurgalieva finishing first with a time of 6:10:11, followed by Elena Nurgalieva with 6:10:40 and Madina Biktigirova with 6:22:03.Farwa Mentoor was the first South Africa woman to cross the line, finishing in fourth place with a time of 6:24:30.The gruelling 86-year-old event, dubbed the ultimate human race, attracts thousands of runners from all over the world every year.Nampa-AFPThe winner gets a cash prize of R200 000 , and Shvetsov will also receive a 100-ounce gold statuette for breaking the record.”I just maintained my average pace of 3:35 per kilometre and it paid off handsomely, I am thrilled beyond words,” the Russian said after the race run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in South Africa’s eastern KwaZulu-Natal province.His countryman Grigory Murzin took second place in 5:30:20.The first local athlete to cross the finish line was Mncedisi Mkhize, who clocked 5:32:58 for third place.Russia also took the top three women spots, with Olesya Nurgalieva finishing first with a time of 6:10:11, followed by Elena Nurgalieva with 6:10:40 and Madina Biktigirova with 6:22:03.Farwa Mentoor was the first South Africa woman to cross the line, finishing in fourth place with a time of 6:24:30.The gruelling 86-year-old event, dubbed the ultimate human race, attracts thousands of runners from all over the world every year.Nampa-AFP