'My body is fine now and I'm feeling good' - Tete Dijana recovered from Comrades and training for Soweto

Having gone into this year’s Comrades Marathon as the defending champion and favourite to become the first runner since Stephen Muzhingi in 2011 to register three consecutive victories, things didn’t go according to plan for Tete Dijana. After battling eventual winner Piet Wiersma in the first Up Run since 2019, the Down Run record holder was forced to surrender as cramps got the better of him and he dropped from sixth to fourteenth in the last 10km to finish in 5:42:50.

In the wake of his defeat a number of videos did the rounds on social media in which a cramping Dijana is seen dazed and disorientated as worried spectators look on. The Nedbank Running Club top runner has assured his supporters that he didn’t suffer any long-term negative effects and has thanked them for the support they gave him on the 9th of June.

Dijana training in Rustenburg. He says he is feeling good and looking forward to the Africanbank Soweto Marathon. Photo Credit: MWMedia.

"My body is fine now and I'm feeling good. Lots of my fans were concerned when they saw all the videos. Some even helped me because I fell twice. I can't say what exactly happened because I got dizzy during the last 10km to go to the finish. It was not my day," he told #TheTopRunner.

Having recovered from those dramatic events, the 50km World Record holder (2:39:04) has set his sights on doing well at the Africanbank Soweto Marathon. Boasting a standard marathon personal bet of 2:13:24 which he set when he claimed tenth place at the 2023 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, Dijana is confident of a strong showing 3 November at the notoriously tough 42,2km race.

"I last ran Soweto in 2018 and I ran 2:58," he shared. "My training for the race is going well so far. I have been working hard with my teammates and my target is a top ten finish," said the man who is coached by Dave Adams.

The Happy Bunch of five Comrades Gold medalists training together in Rustenburg under the watchful eye of coach Dave Adams. Photo Credit: Tumelo Mabua.

Joining the diminutive Dijana at the race will be his Nedbank Running Club Rustenburg group comprising of Comrades gold medalists Edward Mothibi, Dan Moselakwe, Joseph Manyedi and Johannes Makgetla. Mothibi says when it comes to The Happy Bunch’s targets for the Africanbank Soweto Marathon, their mantra remains the same - the team performance is more important than individual victories.

"After another team prize winning performance by the  Rustenburg Green Dream Team who took 2nd, 4th, 12th 14th and 16th places at this year’s Comrades Marathon, training is now underway for Soweto marathon. To be able to put in the training required for top performance is only possible with the correct recovery and supplements. We would like to thank our loyal sponsors BIOGEN. Without Biogen we could not perform the way we do."