Tete Dijana not under pressure to clinch Comrades Marathon title

The former security guard says he would be satisfied with a top ten finish in the 89km down run.

The iconic race gets underway at 5:30am on Sunday, starting at the City Hall in Pietermaritzburg and finishing at People’s Park outside Durban’s Moses Mabhida Stadium.

While the winner stands to earn R550,000, with potential bonuses pushing the total to R800,000, Dijana says he’s focusing on running smart rather than fixating on the prize.

"My preparations went well, my chances are that I’m here to fight, so maybe I will place in the top 10, winning would be a bonus. For me, I don't want to go to hard because of whatever happened last year because I'm kind of having a trauma. So, I'll fix it up firstly and then position myself so I don't want to put pressure on myself," Dijana said.

READ: Irvette Van Zyl nervous about her debut Comrades Marathon

Last year, the 37-year-old endured his worst performance yet, failing to finish the race and missing out on a top ten spot.

He attributed the disappointing result to poor nutrition and inadequate preparation. At times, he was seen walking and taking frequent breaks to rest.

This year, however, he insists he is fully prepared and ready to tackle the 89km challenge.

"I guess it's nutrition, I don't know what went wrong but all I know is that it's nutrition. Firstly, I have to check and be careful and make sure that everything is in order, so that when I'm coming here, I should also keep my other things in order, so, safety first."