Nick Bester declares the Dream Team ready for Comrades Marathon

Speaking to SABC Sport, Bester believes his runners are in excellent shape ahead of the highly anticipated 85km Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on 14 June.

The winners of the men’s and women’s races will each receive R925,000, with an additional R605,000 bonus on offer for a course record. 

The Nedbank “Dream Team” is currently holding a training camp in Dullstroom, Mpumalanga, as they prepare for the race. 

Despite the departure of former champions Tete Dijana and Edward Mothibi, Bester remains confident that his squad will deliver a strong performance.

One of the athletes Bester is particularly excited about is Lucky Mohale, who is preparing to make his Comrades Marathon debut. 

The 41-year-old runner from Tembisa impressed with a third-place finish in his first Two Oceans Marathon appearance last year, and Bester believes he is ready for the challenge of South Africa’s biggest ultra-marathon.

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Bester says Mohale has enjoyed a smooth build-up to the race without any injury setbacks and is eager to see how he performs on debut.

"Lucky should be ready and he is ready to run comrades now, the age he is at makes him ready to run it. If you look at the field, there are some top runners coming. The two Japanese runners for example and the European 50km record holder is also coming. Lucky can maybe scrape in for a top ten..."

Bester has also backed defending champion Piet Wiersma to be among the leading contenders. 

The Dutch star is expected to join the team from Kenya, where he has been preparing for the race.

Never one to shy away from sharing his views, Bester believes Wiersma is ready for another strong performance. 

He also downplayed the chances of former Nedbank runners Edward Mothibi, Tete Dijana and Johannes Makgetla, saying age could make it difficult for them to challenge for a place in the top three.

"He has phoned me, he's coming from Kenya. The rest of the guys are old, and I don't think they will make it into the top three."