South Africa’s reigning Comrades Marathon champion George Kusche set a personal best of 2:10:09 at the Amsterdam Marathon on Sunday, finishing 26th overall.
The Nedbank Running Club athlete improved his previous best by more than three minutes over the 42.2km distance, marking another significant step in his road-running career.
Kusche, 37, is best known for his ultra-distance achievements, but his latest performance demonstrated that he can also compete at a high level over the marathon distance. The result provides a new benchmark as he develops his ambitions over the shorter road-racing format.
His reputation in South African distance running was strengthened by his victory in the 2026 Comrades Marathon. Kusche completed the 85.777km ‘Up’ run between Durban and Pietermaritzburg in 5:15:56, establishing a new record for the route.
The Amsterdam Marathon also produced an impressive result for another South African, with Cwenga Nose making his debut over the distance.
Representing Phantane Athletics Club, Nose ran 2:09:35 to finish 23rd overall. He broke the two-hour-10-minute barrier in his first marathon.
Lemi Berhanu of Ethiopia won the men’s race in 2:03:32, narrowly missing the course record.
Kenya’s Nicholas Kipkorir was second in 2:03:38, while compatriot Patrick Mosin completed the podium in 2:03:57.
