Bongmusa Mthembu captured his third Comrades Marathon title on Sunday in a feat that also propelled him to being the second local man since Bruce Fordyce in 1988 to have won the popular KwaZulu-Natal ultra-race back-to-back.

Mthembu‚ of Arthur Ford Athletics Club‚ breasted the tape at the finish at Moses Mabhida Stadium in 5:26:39.

Joseph Mphuthi made it a South African 1-2 in second spot in a time of 5:35:14.