An unexpected turn of events occurred in the 2009 Comrades Marathon when defending champion Leonid Shvetsov, who moved into the lead after Charles Tjiane slowed down, was overtaken by Zimbabwean Stephen Muzhingi, who finished third last year. As a gap started to open, Shvetsov was seen walking for a few metres.
An unexpected turn of events occurred in the 2009 Comrades Marathon when defending champion Leonid Shvetsov, who moved into the lead after Charles Tjiane slowed down, was overtaken by Zimbabwean Stephen Muzhingi, who finished third last year. As a gap started to open, Shvetsov was seen walking for a few metres.
The down run started at a cracking pace with Zimbabwean Collen Makaza leading the way for the first two-and-a-half hours but then fell back after winning the first two "Hot Spot" prizes.
South Africa's Tjiane then held the lead but just a few hundred metres short of the third "hot spot" prize, he started walking and allowed defending champion Leonid Shvetsov to overtake him.
The colourful crowd assembled for the finish at Kingsmead Stadium and cheered every turn of events on the big screen.
In the women's race, Russian twins Olesya and Elena Nurgalieva were running neck and neck with Tatyana Zhirkova in third place, five minutes behind them.
South Africans Farwa Mentoor and Riana van Niekerk were fourth and fifth.
The race was won by Olesya Nurgalieva. - Sapa
COMRADES 2009
An unexpected turn of events occurred in the 2009 Comrades Marathon when defending champion Leonid Shvetsov, who moved into the lead after Charles Tjiane slowed down, was overtaken by Zimbabwean Stephen Muzhingi, who finished third last year. As a gap started to open, Shvetsov was seen walking for a few metres.
An unexpected turn of events occurred in the 2009 Comrades Marathon when defending champion Leonid Shvetsov, who moved into the lead after Charles Tjiane slowed down, was overtaken by Zimbabwean Stephen Muzhingi, who finished third last year. As a gap started to open, Shvetsov was seen walking for a few metres.
The down run started at a cracking pace with Zimbabwean Collen Makaza leading the way for the first two-and-a-half hours but then fell back after winning the first two "Hot Spot" prizes.
South Africa's Tjiane then held the lead but just a few hundred metres short of the third "hot spot" prize, he started walking and allowed defending champion Leonid Shvetsov to overtake him.
The colourful crowd assembled for the finish at Kingsmead Stadium and cheered every turn of events on the big screen.
In the women's race, Russian twins Olesya and Elena Nurgalieva were running neck and neck with Tatyana Zhirkova in third place, five minutes behind them.
South Africans Farwa Mentoor and Riana van Niekerk were fourth and fifth.
The race was won by Olesya Nurgalieva. - Sapa