ZIMBABWEAN Stephen Muzhingi became the first man in 23 years to win the Comrades Marathon three times in a row with a convincing victory in Pietermaritzburg yesterday.

Seven South Africans finished in the top 10.

Fanie Matshipa, who had done a lot of the hard work, pushing the pace in the second half, held on to finish second.

Russian Elena Nurgalieva, the defending women's champion, recovered from an early fall to win her sixth title ahead of twin Olesya.

Muzhingi's countryman Point Chaza broke away early and held a lead of more than seven minutes at the halfway mark. Chaza faded soon after with Muzhingi and Matshipa storming past at 30km to go.

Matshipa looked in control, but Muzhingi's experience showed and he stole clear with 14km remaining to win the 87km ultra-marathon in 5:32.45.

Muzhingi, who won the down run in 2009 and 2010, secured his maiden victory in the up run to become the first athlete to win three titles in succession since Bruce Fordyce bagged his eighth straight win in 1988.

Matshipa, who was fifth last year, struggled over Polly Shorts, the last of the race's five big hills, but held on to cross the line in 5:34.29.

Another South African, Claude Moshiywa, who had faded to seventh last year after taking the early lead, ran a much wiser race to finish third in 5:42.05, holding off Jonas Buud of Sweden by 39 seconds.

The Nurgalieva twins took the lead from the start, and while Elena fell 27km into the race, she recovered to catch her sister and they stretched the gap over South Africa's Farwa Mentoor. Elena broke away in the last stages to win in 6:24.11 and Olesya finished second, 14 seconds behind her sibling.

With her fifth-place finish in 6:35.49, Mentoor became the first woman to win 10 gold medals.