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.<\/p>\n
Musa shared the news with his followers on Instagram, posting pictures from the famous ultramarathon and spotlighting his dad\u2019s proud appearance during the world-renowned race.<\/p>\n
\u201cPlease congratulate Ta Phil\u2014he finished the Comrades Marathon today! My dad has been a runner all my life, and I still don\u2019t 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,\u201d Musa wrote.<\/p>\n
The Comrades Marathon is widely known as both the oldest and the biggest ultramarathon on the planet. It\u2019s staged every year in KwaZulu-Natal, with the route switching between the \u201cUp Run\u201d from Durban to Pietermaritzburg and the \u201cDown Run\u201d from Pietermaritzburg back to Durban.<\/p>\n
For this year\u2019s edition\u2014the 99th running of the iconic event\u2014thousands of athletes lined up for the challenging 85.77km \u201cUp Run,\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
In Phil Mthombeni\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
Alongside photos of his father, Musa posted, \u201cShoutout to my dawg! Dankie Ta Phil! We did it!\u201d In a separate update, he also looked back on his dad\u2019s retirement and his long-standing dedication to running.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy 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!\u201d he joked.<\/p>\n
Phil wasn\u2019t running alone on the emotional front\u2014his 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cShout out to my brothers in love for showing up throughout the day!\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s accomplishment.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, 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\u2026\u201d she wrote in the family group chat.<\/p>\n
Posting a screenshot of her message, Musa added his own affectionate caption: \u201cMy mom this morning. I think she was missing her man! Next year she must join him!\u201d<\/p>\n
Taken together, Musa\u2019s updates offered fans a window into the close-knit Mthombeni family, while underscoring how significant the win was for Phil\u2014especially since he completed the demanding ultramarathon soon after retiring.<\/p>\n
This year\u2019s Comrades Marathon also delivered major historic highlights. In the men\u2019s race, South African runner George Kusche took the title, finishing in a record-breaking 5:15:56. In the women\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
One of the standout stories from the weekend was that both the men\u2019s and women\u2019s winners shattered the Up Run course records on the same day\u2014an uncommon feat in Comrades history and a clear reflection of the intense competition across the field.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019s proud appearance during the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1809,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Dr Musa Mthombeni Celebrates Dad\u2019s Comrades Marathon Win","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"TV star Dr Musa Mthombeni celebrates his dad Phil\u2019s proud Comrades Marathon finish at 65, sharing heartfelt updates and race snaps","mma_seo_breadcrumb_text":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_url":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_hide_ui":"","mma_seo_breadcrumb_labels":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1810","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-celebrities"],"yoast_head":"\n