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Sikhumbuzo Seme during a race.
Long-distance runner, Sikhumbuzo Seme is aiming to finish in the top 10 at the Comrades Marathon, later this year. Recently, the Hollywood Athletics Club runner won the Johnson Crane Hire Marathon in Benoni.
Sikhumbuzo is the son of the legendary athletics coach, Michael Seme, who discovered the likes of Caster Semenya and Stephen Mokoka to just mention a few.
Sikhumbuzo Seme, who is coached by his father, participated in three Comrades Marathons already. The 39-year-old finished two Down Runs in 22nd and 11th place, crossing the finish line in 17th place in last year’s up run.
Seme hopes to finish in the top 10 this year with the aim of winning it in the future.
“With that experience coming into 2025, my aim is to do better than 2022 since I finished 11th. So the plan is to be inside the top 10. I will be very happy if I can achieve that goal. I sat down with my father and discussed about it. We are planning to do better, I just wish on that day everything goes well,” says Seme.
Seme is motivated by the recent joining of Gerda Steyn, who won Comrades Marathon three times in a row and the Two Oceans Marathon back-to-back, to the Hollywood Athletics Club.
“It motivates us a lot having a champion and joining your team, you want to do better. And it felt like I can be like her, you know the way she runs she is always smiling and relaxed and that on its own motivates you it makes you want to run like her.”
Seme won the recent Johnson Crane Hire Marathon in Benoni to secure qualification for this year’s Comrades Marathon.
“I was very excited my body was right on that day. I have enjoyed the race and most of the time you are running races in Johannesburg, it’s very tough, but it wasn’t my first time doing the Johnson Crane Marathon,”
His father and coach was also honored with the Lifetime Achievement award at the annual Athletics South Africa awards ceremony. And his family is very proud of his achievements.
This year’s Comrades Marathon is a down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban and takes place on the 8th of June.
Video: Comrades Marathon – Sikhumbuzo Seme targets top 10 finish
