Television favourite and radiologist Dr Musa Mthombeni is celebrating in a big way after his father, Phil Mthombeni, successfully crossed the finish line of the Comrades Marathon at the age of 65.
Musa shared the news with his followers on Instagram, posting pictures from the famous ultramarathon and spotlighting his dad’s proud appearance during the world-renowned race.
“Please congratulate Ta Phil—he finished the Comrades Marathon today! My dad has been a runner all my life, and I still don’t get why anyone would be up at 3am to run through the streets, but today he ran the streets! Congrats Ta Phil. Welcome to retirement, my king! My Shayla Nkosi yam,” Musa wrote.
The Comrades Marathon is widely known as both the oldest and the biggest ultramarathon on the planet. It’s staged every year in KwaZulu-Natal, with the route switching between the “Up Run” from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and the “Down Run” from Pietermaritzburg back to Durban.
For this year’s edition—the 99th running of the iconic event—thousands of athletes lined up for the challenging 85.77km “Up Run,” taking them from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. Finishing the race is widely seen as a major accomplishment in endurance sport, with competitors expected to complete the course within a strict 12-hour cut-off. For many participants, simply reaching the finish line is already a personal triumph.
In Phil Mthombeni’s case, the achievement carried extra meaning: he completed the marathon at 65 and did it shortly after stepping into retirement. Musa kept the celebrations going by updating his Instagram Stories throughout the day, sharing a series of moments from the marathon and the festivities that followed.
Alongside photos of his father, Musa posted, “Shoutout to my dawg! Dankie Ta Phil! We did it!” In a separate update, he also looked back on his dad’s retirement and his long-standing dedication to running.
“My dad retired this year. 65 years of hustle and now he finally gets to take it easy. Apparently taking it easy means running the Comrades again!” he joked.
Phil wasn’t running alone on the emotional front—his family turned out to support him during the race, cheering him on from start to finish. Musa later used his platform to thank the relatives who spent the day showing up for his dad.
“Shout out to my brothers in love for showing up throughout the day!” he wrote.
The heartfelt family moments continued beyond the marathon itself. Musa also shared a WhatsApp message from his mother, Khaya Mthombeni, who voiced her admiration and gratitude for her husband’s accomplishment.
“Oh, my dearest husband. Give him flowers whilst he is still alive to smell them instead of putting bunches and bunches on his grave. Sibonga kuni nonke…” she wrote in the family group chat.
Posting a screenshot of her message, Musa added his own affectionate caption: “My mom this morning. I think she was missing her man! Next year she must join him!”
Taken together, Musa’s updates offered fans a window into the close-knit Mthombeni family, while underscoring how significant the win was for Phil—especially since he completed the demanding ultramarathon soon after retiring.
This year’s Comrades Marathon also delivered major historic highlights. In the men’s race, South African runner George Kusche took the title, finishing in a record-breaking 5:15:56. In the women’s event, ultra-running star Gerda Steyn claimed her fifth Comrades championship, crossing the line in 5:44:53 and setting a new Up Run record as well.
One of the standout stories from the weekend was that both the men’s and women’s winners shattered the Up Run course records on the same day—an uncommon feat in Comrades history and a clear reflection of the intense competition across the field.
