Isithombe Dutchman Piet Wiersma says he is in the shape of his life ahead of Sunday's defence of his Comrades Marathon Up Run title from Durban to Pietermaritzburg.
Defending Up Run champion Piet Wiersma believes he will be in the best physical shape of his life when he lines up for Sunday's 99th edition of the Comrades Marathon, motivated by intense unfinished business stretching back over the past two years.
The flying Dutchman returns to KwaZulu-Natal seeking to assert his dominance on the grueling road to Pietermaritzburg. In 2024, Wiersma stormed to an unforgettable Up Run victory in 5:25:00 — finishing a mere 21 seconds shy of Leonid Shvetsov's long-standing course record.
He also carries the fresh tactical memories of last year's Down Run, where he finished an agonisingly close second behind local talisman Tete Dijana after an epic, trunk-to-trunk battle.
Asked whether he should be considered the outright pre-race favourite for Sunday's historic 50th official Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, Wiersma preferred to deflect the pressure onto his rigorous preparation.
