By Sithembeni Tanya Madziwa
For many 52-year-olds, the goal is to slow down. But not with Visitor Mashushire who has proved that serious and consistent commitment can decode the ultimate ultra-marathon.
Fresh off the gruelling ribbons of asphalt between Durban and Pietermaritzburg, Visitor sat down to reflect on his monumental journey completing South Africa’s legendary Comrades Marathon 2026.
This is a brutal, ultimate test of human will which has been culminated by over a decade of a well-disciplined lifestyle.
“I started running and jogging consistently, usually in the morning, end of year 2010 and started participating in local events in 2018.”
Visitor recalled how it all started and giving credit to Zimbabwe’s vibrant running scene that offered the perfect proving ground which included, the Old Mutual, Econet Victoria Falls, CBZ, ZB, Zimbabwe School of Mines, Pretoria Portland Cement (PPC), Joshua Nkomo Peace marathon events.
It’s these events that helped him build the much need physical stamina where he pushed himself to the absolute limit and it also gave him a confidence booster to register for the most challenging marathon, the Comrades Marathon 2026.
For this event, it was more than being confident, but he had to be in survival mode for the hills he had to conquer, hence he had a strict routine, balancing training and work.
Mondays were strictly for rest, Tuesday-Friday before heading to work was for a 10 to 15 km run with gruelling Saturday sessions of over 25km followed by 10 km recovery run for Sundays.
As a member of Fitness First Club, Bulawayo, the club organised 4 ultra-marathon events which helped him in levelling up the distance and terrain in South Africa. In April 2026, he also trained with a Gweru club that organised another ultra-marathon from Gweru to Chachacha, about 60km.
To mimic the legendary South African elevation changes, Visitor sought out the most unforgiving topography closer to home.
“There is a place called Danger. It is about 33km from Bulawayo on your way to Masvingo or Beitbridge. I trained there several times this year.” He paired these gruelling hill climbs with targeted body workouts designed to strengthen core muscles.
With this kind of training he knew that he would conquerer the South African terrain. “There was no difference between the training I did back home and the actual race day,” Visitor said confidently. “I never regretted and never wished I had done more.” Yet, nothing completely prepares the human mind for the raw landscape of the Comrades route.
“The problem was the terrain”, Visitor admitted. “It was uneven and unforgiving.”
Despite the refreshment points being fully stacked with water, juices, food, and salt, the true enemy was the elevation. The route featured the notorious ‘Big Five’ hills, which saw him slow down at the infamous Polly Shortts.
“Of course I had heard about the big 5 hills.
After my Comrades Marathon preparation I was confident and felt adequate. I knew I could endure the pain.
But I openly admit that Polly Shortts was the most difficult. It was run then walk, walk then run on this hill.” In that moment of immense physical pain, his years of accumulated mileage became his shield, he physically conquered not only Polly Shortts but the event.
“I learnt that preparation for marathon events is very important,” he added.
Despite the pain, his immense discipline culminated in triumph, and he crossed the finish line in a spectacular 9 hours, 39 minutes, and 45 seconds, earning the highly respected Robert Mtshali Medal. When asked to describe the moment he secured his place among the finishers, the ICT specialist was temporarily short of words.
“I do not have the right words to describe how I felt,” he said, with the excitement still fresh. “To describe the mood, the excitement… I was ecstatic, to me, this achievement symbolises endurance.”
Having walked the talk, Visitor had powerful words for aspiring long-distance runners looking to follow his footsteps. He refused to sugarcoat the reality of the sport. He bluntly said, “I have heard messages like ‘There is no short-cut to fitness’ and ‘You cannot cheat on fitness’ during marathon events. To my fellow colleagues I say it’s achievable, with immense, serious commitment.”
However, beyond the immense mental grit, Visitor highlighted the stark financial hurdles facing independent athletes in Zimbabwe. “We face many challenges as runners. We need financial resources, that is registration, travel, accommodation and food for both local and international marathon events, to buy performance tracking devices like a sports watch or phone, to buy sports gear, especially the running shoes.
“We need running shoes designed for runners, and they are more expensive than other shoes.”
Yet, according to Visitor, the heaviest battle isn’t physical or financial but it’s the one fought in the mind before the sun comes up.
“The serious challenge you face as a runner is the temptation to sleep, and to rest because waking up early in the morning is not easy.” But for this 52-year-old ICT technician, every early alarm, every aching muscle, and every steep incline at Danger or the ‘Big Five’ hills was worth it. He proved to the world that with enough commitment, the human machine can endure more.
Connect with Visitor on WhatsApp +263 774 312 002 Or Facebook: Visitor Mashushire.
Follow Sithembeni Tanya Madziwa on Facebook: Sithembeni Tanya Madziwa
