"All it needs is preparation" - Majara targets top ten and Lesotho's first female Comrades gold medal

With less than a month to go until the 99th running of the Comrades Marathon, Likeledi Majara is looking to make history by becoming the first woman from Lesotho to win a gold medal at The Ultimate Human Race.

“It would be historic,” she admits. “It would be truly special.”

Although representing the Mountain Kingdom, the Nedbank Running Club Athletics Free State top runner enjoys a diverse heritage spanning the alpine borders between Lesotho and South Africa. Majara who resides in the Free State town of Virginia was born in Lesotho to a Mosotho father and South African mother. The 32-year-old trains in the Free State where she she is coached by Goodman Mokgathi whom she met during her days competing for the well known Sibanye Stillwater marathon club.

After claiming gold at Two Oceans, Majara has set her sights on a maiden Comrades Marathon gold medal on 14 June 2026. Photo Credit: Action Photo.

“He is very happy with me indeed,” she toes #TheTopRunner when asked about her coach. “I didn’t run many races this year because my focus was on Two Oceans and Comrades. At the beginning of this year coach Goodman opened a new team called Kemps Iintensive here in Virginia. That is where we train and that is where I prepared for Two Oceans,” she explains.

Having taken twelfth position in 2024 and earned a maiden gold medal when she finished in fifth place last year, Majara returned to the 2026 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon powered by BYD on 11 April aiming to add to her collection of gold medals. But she fell roughly six minutes short of her 3:46:24 Two Oceans best to finish in fourteenth position in the women’s 56km race.

“The race was very fast this year because that time (3:52:33) would have been good enough for a top ten finish last year. I’m not disappointed though because I had some challenges during the race. I didn’t take enough water so I cramped. But I’m happy with my effort,” says the woman who is headed to the Mpumalanga high altitude town of Dullstroom to conclude her Comrades preparations.

Majara's Comrades preparations have gone well and included victory at the N12 Ultra Marathon on 2 May. Photo Credit: Lindokuhle Mashabane.

Encouraged by her run at the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon, a dominant 6 minute 3:18:36 victory at the N12 Ultra 50km Marathon in the North West on 2 May, Majara has er signs set on a gold medal during her first Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on 14 June. Backed Nedbank boss and multiple Comrades gold medalist Nick Bester’s decades of Comrades knowledge and the motivation she took from her 6:50:06 finish on debut last year, Majara is confident of becoming the very first Mosotho woman to win a gold medal at The Ultimate Human Race.

“This year I have targeted top 10 for Comrades. Last year was my first time. I just went to check and see hw the race is. I wasn’t going for competition. So it was encouraging to finish the race and I immediately told myself when I crossed the finish line, that I would be coming back this year. I don’t see it as a difficult thing especially when you are well prepared and injury free. All it needs is preparation and you’re done. It’s not that difficult.”