The dream for many is to live long and finally go the way of all mortals – at old age. Mzameleni Mthembu probably had that dream. But fate had other ideas: He died while running at Comrades Marathon.
The Comrades is the world’s oldest marathon. It returned to South Africa on Sunday, with Mzameleni Mthembu as one of the runners. According to multiple reports, he had collapsed on the 90 km route from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
He had just 12 kilometres to the end of the race when he collapsed. Attempts to revive him were unsuccessful, and medics had to accept he’s exited the material plane. Reports on what actually happened are still pretty sketchy.
But the Sunday Word reported that Mzameleni Mthembu, who is from the Toti branch of the Hollywoodbets Athletics Club, had complications along the way and collapsed in Pinetown. He was taken to the Westville Hospital, where he was confirmed dead.
The news of his death reverberated across South Africa’s athletic world. The exact details of his passing, including the cause of death, have not been released. We might bring that to you when the dust clears, so you’re welcome to follow us right away and stay tuned for updates.
