"If my body responds like it did last year then I'll be ok" - Manyedi talks Comrades

With an impressive record of four consecutive gold medals and career best fourth place finish last year, Jospeh Manyedi is one of the favourites to claim a podium position at the 98th running of the Comrades Marathon. The 89.98km Down Run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban takes place on Sunday 8 June, where Manyedi will for the first time go up against his former training partners.

Having swapped the green of the Nedbank Running Club for the red of the Maxed Elite Running Club, the 42-year-old will go head-to-head with two-time champion and Down Run record holder Tete Dijana, who was until the end of 2024, his training partner. Manyedi says although leaving a club and camp he called home for four years was tough, he is happy with the change.

Manyedi battling Dijana at the 2025 TRAC N4 Elands Marathon. Photo Credit: Thami KaQoma.

"It feels good to wear this red tracksuit. I'm enjoying it more than where I was before," he told #TheTopRunner.

Since joining the Mr Price Sport backed elite running team, Manyedi has produced encouraging performances. He clocked a speedy 2:18:45 to finish as the runner-up behind Dijana at the TRAC N4 Elands Marathon in Mpumalanga on 1 March and then followed that up with a disciplined training run at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon where he ran with the elite women for the first half of the race and then sped up during the second half to stop the clock in 3:24:46 for 28th position.

"I went to Two Oceans for a training run and I enjoyed it. I also ran well at the Elands Valley. The only issue I had there was that I suffered a few cramps during the last 5km. Otherwise I could have performed even better."

Manyedi earning one of his four gold medals in the colours of Nedbank. Photo Credit: Cuan Walker.

With the training done, the only question is can the veteran of eight consecutive Comrades finishes, which include four silver and four gold medals, improve on the 5:28:33 personal best he delivered during the 2024 Up Run?

"Position one is not guaranteed because everyone has trained and we all want it. But if my body responds like it did last year then I know that I will be okay because last year my only problem was the toilet. I had to go to the toilet four times which cost me."