"It was the most unbelievable moment" - Bosman claims gold on Comrades debut

In a historic Comrades Marathon run where George Kusche (5:15:56) and Gerda Steyn (5:44:53) stole the show by delivering astonishing performances to win the men’s and women’s races in new Up Run records, Lloyd Bosman stole some of the spotlight when he completed the 85.777km journey from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in 5:28:53 to take a seventh spot on debut. 

Approaching the finish line at Hollywoodbets Scottsville Racecourse in eighth position, the Nedbank Running Club ace waved at the crowd as he celebrated a top ten finish. But on realizing that Nikolai Volkov was crawling and battling towards the finish line, Bosman picked up the pace to claim a well deserved seventh spot overall. Speaking at this morning’s (15 June) Comrades Marathon prize giving breakfast at the Elangeni Hotel in Durban, Bosman described the moment as one of the best in his career.

Bosman claimed a memorable seventh position on debut. Photo Credit: Nedbank Running Club.

"I'm so happy with the way I ran. It was the most unbelievable moment in my life. To come to Durban and experience the Comrades  Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, was a great feeling," said the 38-year-old Bosman who explained that the Nedbank Running Club’s pre-race training camp in Mpumalanga was the key to his success.

"I'm glad with the way I performed overall.  I think the training I conducted in Dullstroom was instrumental for me. It’s also about timing. I think it was the right time for me to run the Comrades Marathon. In athletics, you must be able to go through all the stages nicely. I started from 800m and gradually moved up in distance until I arrived where I am today,” he explained.

Bosman in the centre of the chasing bunch on the way to securing a maiden Comrades gold medal. Photo Credit: Tobias Ginsberg.

Having enjoyed a great 2024 where he secured the runner-up spot at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon behind Onalenna Khonkhobe - Bosman failed to replicate that good form last year. Yesterday’s (14 June) result  at The Ultimate Human Race is redemption for the man who is known to sometimes train alongside SA Marathon record holder Elroy Gelant.

“2025 wasn't a very good year for me, I won't lie to you. But I managed to hang in there and continue to run strong. So to deliver this kind of performance in the Comrades means so much to me. I must thank God for that.”