Dijana declares himself the true Down Run champion
Image: Sibonelo Ngcobo Independent Media
"Indeed, I am a real Down Run champion!"
There was an uncharacteristically cocky air about Tete Dijana late Sunday morning, deep within the bowels of the Moses Mabhida Stadium, as he addressed the post-race media conference.
Responding to some questions with monosyllabic answers, and with his face cupped in his hands as he sat at the head table, he gave the impression of someone who would rather have been elsewhere. But make no mistake — Dijana was right where he wanted to be: in the spotlight, the centre of attention, basking in the glory of a Comrades Marathon victory that settled more than a few scores.
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First, he comfortably beat his Nedbank Running Club teammate Piet Wiersma — the Dutchman who had given him a major scare two years ago during the Down Run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. Second, he made up for last year's nightmare run, which saw him plagued by dizziness and cramps, ultimately finishing outside the top 10 and missing out on a third successive Comrades crown.
Wiersma, the 2023 Up Run winner, was tipped by many as the stronger contender heading into this year's race. But Dijana, ever determined, proved his supremacy on the Down Run.
'I came prepared,' he said.
'I made sure Piet worked hard. I made some surges and moves so I could be comfortable. In the last 10 kilometres he was closing in, so I accelerated a little and that gap opened up.'
He said to expect the unexpected 😏
Tete Dijana puts the struggles of 2024 behind him with an emphatic win 👇
📺 Stream #Comrades2025 on DStv: https://t.co/rM90YyQxaw pic.twitter.com/GdU5y633N4 — SuperSport 🏆 (@SuperSportTV) June 8, 2025
Dijana clocked 5:25:28 — just five seconds ahead of Wiersma — although the margin of victory felt more comfortable than in 2022, when he won by only three seconds.
When asked how it felt to cross the finish line first, his initial reply was simple: 'Unexplainable.' But with a bit more probing, he opened up.
'I was so excited and also emotional, because I remembered what happened last year when I was in my best shape — but the devil came,' he said, referencing his inexplicable 2023 struggles, which also affected his training group, affectionately known as The Happy Bunch.
'I'm happy that the devil did not attack me this year.'
Instead, Dijana attacked the race. Alongside Wiersma and Edward Mothibi, he launched a late charge that overhauled Onalenna Khonkhobe, who had led from the start until just 18 kilometres from the finish.
Dijana said the support from fans inspired him to run with renewed purpose.
'I'd been getting pressure from social media — my fans were saying, 'Don't let it go again.' They used the word again. I had to fix everything, because those people — when I was down last year, emotionally and physically — lifted my spirits.'
'When I was training, I told myself I wasn't going to run for me, I was going to run for them.'
And run for them he did. Their cheers echoed through the stadium as he crossed the finish line, completing a hat-trick of Down Run victories following his triumphs in 2022 and 2023.
He is, indeed, a true Down Run champion.
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