Samuel Tshabalala becomes the first black athlete to win the Pietermaritzburg-Durban Comrades Marathon

Date: 31 May 1989
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Samuel Tshabalala becomes the first black athlete to win the Pietermaritzburg-Durban Comrades Marathon

Arguably the grandest marathon in the world, athletes flock to South Africa from all over the world every year to take part in the race. They run the 90 kilometers between the cities of Pietermaritzburg and Durban. The first comrades took place in 1921, with only 34 entrants. In 2008, more than 10 thousand athletes entered the race. In 1989, Sam Tshabalala made history when he became the first black athlete to win the Comrades. Initially, black athletes were barred from participating in the race, but the ban was lifted in 1975. Unfortunately, Tshabalala was injured in a car accident in 1991. He however, returned to the race in subsequent years and managed to achieve four silver medals. In 1998, Tshabalala was awarded the prestigious Platinum Medal by the Comrades Marathon Association in recognition of his contribution to the Comrades Marathon.

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How we know this

01Comrades The forgotten comrades [online] Available at: www.comrades.com [Accessed on 17 May 2012]
02South Africa. Info The Comrades Marathon [online] Available at: www.southafrica.info [Accessed on 17 May 2012]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2012, May 24). Samuel Tshabalala becomes the first black athlete to win the Pietermaritzburg-Durban Comrades Marathon. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0083817

South African History Online (2012) 'Samuel Tshabalala becomes the first black athlete to win the Pietermaritzburg-Durban Comrades Marathon', South African History Online, 24 May. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0083817 (Accessed: 23 July 2026).

South African History Online, Samuel Tshabalala becomes the first black athlete to win the Pietermaritzburg-Durban Comrades Marathon [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0083817, (accessed 23 July 2026).

"Samuel Tshabalala becomes the first black athlete to win the Pietermaritzburg-Durban Comrades Marathon." South African History Online, 24 May 2012, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0083817. Accessed 23 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Samuel Tshabalala becomes the first black athlete to win the Pietermaritzburg-Durban Comrades Marathon." South African History Online. May 24, 2012. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0083817.