Draft:2024 Comrades Marathon

The 2024 Comrades Marathon was the 97th edition of the ultramarathon, which took place on June 9, 2024. The race was an "up" run, starting in Durban and finishing in Pietermaritzburg, covering 85.91 kilometers.

Race Overview
The 2024 edition of the Comrades Marathon was the world's largest ultra marathon in 2024 as of June 09, 2024, with 18,884 runners on the start line and 17,313 total finishers. Due to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Russian athletes competed under an International flag.

Men's Race
Dutch runner Piet Wiersma won the men's race with a time of 5:25:00, moving from 10th place at halfway to the front and winning by 45 seconds ahead of South Africa's Dan Moselakwe, who finished in 5:25:45. Ethiopia's Degefa Yohannese Lafebo was third, finishing in 5:27:48. This was Wiersma's first victory after finishing second to Tete Dijana in the 2023 'down' run.

Women's Race
In the women's race, South African Gerda Steyn delivered a record-breaking performance, winning her third Comrades title. Steyn shattered her own course record for the "up" run by over 9 minutes, finishing in 5:49:46. Russia's Alexandra Morozova finished second in 6:05:12, followed by American Courtney Olsen in 6:08:09.

Highlights and Records

 * Gerda Steyn broke her own "up" run record by more than nine minutes.
 * Piet Wiersma achieved his first victory at the Comrades Marathon, following a second-place finish in 2023.