impressive 16th place finish (ladies).
Puleng Patience Khumalo of Bengal Street, Laudium has made her family, friends and colleagues proud, after achieving an outstanding 16th place finish (ladies) in the Comrades Marathon 2026, from Durban to Pietermaritzburg, the previous Sunday (June 14).
The dedicated athlete described her achievement as a very special moment in her running career and expressed heartfelt gratitude to her family, the Principal and colleagues at Laudium Secondary School, where she works as an administrator and also her coach, Harry Maredi, whose guidance and belief played a significant role in her success, she said. Being bestowed with the Isavel Roche Kelly Medal (given to runners who finish in under 7 hours), is testament to Puleng’s dedication and hours of training. As congratulations pour in, Puleng remains humble and focused on the future, detailing that she ran her first Comrades in 2025 and finished 19th in 6h:45m, but pushed harder this year and is overjoyed to bring home her back to back medal. Puleng added that she is definitely going back next year!