George Kusche downplays fine form as Comrades Marathon and Two Oceans approaches

Kusche secured his fourth victory of the year after winning the J.P. Morgan Corporate Challenge Johannesburg 5.6km race in a time of 16 minutes and 55 seconds.

The in-form runner has already claimed victories at the Biogen Half Marathon and the Cape Peninsula Marathon earlier this season, underlining his strong start to the year.

Kusche traded his usual Nedbank Running Club colours to compete for his employer Pepkor and delivered another confident performance on the streets of Johannesburg recently.

His victory was greeted at the finish line by Springbok rugby legend Bryan Habana and South Africa’s sprint star Akani Simbine, who both serve as ambassadors for the prestigious event that attracted over 14,000 runners.

Kusche’s dominance was hardly surprising given his impressive consistency since finishing fourth at the Soweto Marathon 42.2km race in November last year.

Despite his winning streak, the 27-year-old data scientist remains firmly focused on his long-term goal — the uprun of the Comrades Marathon from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on 14 June.

Next on his schedule is the Two Oceans Half Marathon in Cape Town next month as part of his preparations for the ultra-marathon season.

Speaking to SABC Sport after his latest win, Kusche admitted the victory was somewhat unexpected.

“I feel good and this win was a shock to the system. I haven’t really done work that prepares me for a 5.6km race, but I had fun out there,” he said.

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Having already won races over 21.1km, 42.2km and now the shorter 5.6km distance this season, Kusche believes the variety in racing is helping sharpen him ahead of his main target.

“My training is geared towards the longer races like Comrades, but a good 5km or 21.1km race is great preparation for an ultra-marathon in June. I will do the Two Oceans and then the Comrades,” said the ever-smiling runner.

Given his impressive early-season form, Kusche is already being mentioned among the favourites for the Comrades title.

However, he insists he is not paying attention to the outside noise.

“I’m not listening to outside influences, and I don’t really care what people think about whether I’m a favourite or not. I just love running and I want every kid to have access to running,” he said.

Remarkably, Kusche coaches himself — and despite racing frequently this season, he believes he has found the right balance in his training.

“I took a break for a week after the Cape Peninsula Marathon. I make sure I take good breaks and don’t always do intense work. The focus is on the long runs now,” he explained.

“With Comrades getting closer, the long runs are getting longer.”

Kusche also has unfinished business at the Two Oceans Half Marathon. Two years ago, he clocked 65 minutes to finish third, and this year he is determined to return stronger and improve on that performance as his road to Comrades continues.