Samuel Matsepe wins the J.P Morgan Corporate Challenge as part of his prep for Oom die Dam

Matsepe, who trains alongside his idol and former Comrades Marathon champion Edward Mothibe, completed the 5.6km race in 17 minutes and 18 seconds, outpacing a field of 14,000 runners through the streets of Johannesburg.

In the women’s race, Stella Marais of KPMG LLP secured the title with a time of 21 minutes and 52 seconds.

The winners were welcomed at the finish line by race ambassadors and celebrated South African sports stars Akani Simbine and Natalie Du Toit.

The 20th edition of the annual race was sold-out within two days, with participants braving rain and chilly conditions to enjoy the event at the Wanderers Club.

The highlight of the race for Matsepe was defeating his mentor, Mothibe, who finished in second place.

The two shared an emotional embrace at the finish line. Mothibe, a six-time Comrades Marathon gold medallist and last year’s race winner, saw a new victor this year.

Matsepe is now preparing for the Oom die Dam marathon and has confirmed he will also race in the Comrades Marathon in June, alongside Mothibe, with whom he trains in Rustenburg.

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“I’m thrilled to win the J.P. Morgan race—it’s my first victory after many years of effort. I’ve been working at Impala in Rustenburg and being running since 1998, and while I’ve struggled with marathon performances due to balancing work, this year I’ll have more time to focus on running,” Matsepe said.

“Mothibe has been an incredible support, motivating me to push harder. He’s taken me under his wing, and in January, he helped me prepare to win this race. Tomorrow, I’ll be running Oom die Dam and will focus on Comrades after that.

“I’m ready for Oom die Dam, having been preparing for it since December. My Comrades Marathon personal best is 6 hours and 4 minutes and tomorrow will be my first official Oom die Dam race,.”

He is excited about the two upcoming ultra-marathons on his schedule and feels that his performance in the J.P. Morgan short race has boosted his confidence.

"My goal for the Comrades Marathon is to finish under 6 hours, with a top 10 finish being a bonus. Ideally, I want to complete it in 5 hours and 50 minutes. Mothibe has been pushing me to crack the top 20 in Comrades, and beating him today really made me happy," Matsepe added.