"Working with coach John made a huge impact" - Pulusa eyes more success after earning gold medal on Comrades debut

After claiming a top ten finish on debut, Tebogo Pilusa emerged as one of the surprise packages of the 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon on 14 June. Running in the colours of the little known Dwarsrivier Mine AC, Pulusa completed the 85,77km route from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in a time of 5:29:40. Finishing inside the top ten at The Ultimate Human Race was the highlight of what has been a special year for the 37-year-old who also ran a course record 2:13:03 to win the Elands Marathon on 28 February.

Yet despite his performances over 42km which included a 2:17:21 clocking for 11th place at the Durban International Marathon on 3 May, and victory at the 2026 Trojan Om Die Dam 50km in 2:53:06, Pulusa downplayed his chances of winning a gold medal when he spoke to #TheTopRunner in March. But now that the reality of a maiden gold medal has set in, he believes he can do even better next year.

Pulusa celebrates his maiden Comrades Marathon gold medal. Photo Credit: Action Photo.

"I'm happy to obtain Comrades gold medal. It’s a moment that is so special to me, especially because I was running the race for the first time. Although I thought that it would be difficult to run a very long distance like that I didn’t experience many challenges on race day and managed to maintain the pace from start to finish. I crossed the finish line feeling fresh as though I could have even run and extra 5km," said elated Pulusa, who was the first Limpopo athlete to obtain a Comrades gold medal since Rufus Photo took fifth position in 2023.

Under the guidance of his cousin and coach, Johannes Mogoane Pilusa has blossomed over the last two seasons. But preparing for his Comrades debut required the enlistment of a specialist ultra marathon coach. Pulusa sought the expertise of renowned Comrades coach John Hamlett to fine-tune his training before race day. He says the legendary Comrades coach must take the credit for his success during the 50th Up Run.

"I personally think the training camp in Dullstroom was the game changer. The time I spent there helped me to understand the race better," explains Pulusa who took third place at the 2024 City to City 50km.

Pulusa has enjoyed a productive 2026, which included victory at the Om Die Dam Marathon. Photo Credit: SMacPix.

"Coach John knows and understands the Comrades better than anyone I know. He made me do some long runs which made a big difference. He told me that I must approach the race without fear because I have nothing to lose. I applied that strategy and was surprised with the way things turned out on the road. I think working with him made a huge impact because he managed to calm my nerves. I must thank my cousin for suggesting we must work with John in build up to Comrades.”

Now Pulusa who works as a Plant Cleaner at the Dwarsrivier Chrome Mine in eastern Limpopo close to the town of Steelpoort says his eyeing a better position during the 2027 Down Run. "I'm targeting the top five next year. Since I'm going to be familiar with the route plus proper training, I think it going to be possible to upgrade my position in next year's run."