The data scientist at a top South African retailer who beat elite athletes at the 2026 Comrades race

George Kusche won the 2026 Comrade Up-Run in a time of 5 hours 15 minutes and 16 seconds, setting a new record for the course. 

A data scientist at Pepkor Lifestyle, Kusche beat elite athletes along the way to the title in only his second attempt. 

Known as the Ultimate Human Race, the Comrades is a gruelling test of body and mind that first began over 100 years ago in 1921.

The marathon consists of two courses, run in alternating years along the stretch of road between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. 

The ‘Down’ course is commonly seen as the easier of the two, with runners progressing 90 kilometres downhill towards the coast.

In contrast, the ‘Up’ course is slightly shorter at 87.6 kilometres but sees the runners gain around 650 metres of elevation to Pietermaritzburg. Kusche’s record was set on this course. 

The Comrades route is defined by a series of five major hills – Cowies Hill, Fields Hill, Botha’s Hill, Inchanga, and Polly Shortts. 

All five of these hills appear on both variants of the course and pose unique challenges to runners, with varying lengths, gradients, and race placements. 

However, the location of the hills makes the Up run the more daunting, featuring sustained climbing in the early stages.

The runners gain over 500 metres of elevation in the first 22 kilometres, with Cowies Hill being the first major obstacle just outside the suburb of Westville. 

This is quickly followed by Fields Hill, with most runners failing to conserve energy for later in the course. 

The middle of the run is dominated by the rolling hills of the KwaZulu-Natal countryside and the long, winding ascent of the Inchanga. 

This is when runners reach the highest point of the course at Umlaas Road, nearly 900 metres above sea level, before dropping into Ashburton. 

The runners get some time to recover before encountering the short, sharp rise of Polly Shortts towards the end of the Up run. This often breaks even the toughest of competitors. 

Because of its unique challenge, the Comrades has become increasingly popular, with all but three editions since 1988 seeing 10,000 runners reach the finish within 12 hours. 

The data scientist who won the Comrades

Elite athletes, many of whom are professional runners, have dominated the Comrades in recent years as the race’s popularity and prestige continue to rise. 

However, 2026 saw a break in this trend, with Kusche setting a new record for the Up run in only his first attempt at this version of the race. 

Kusche recalled his first attempt on his LinkedIn profile. He finished 12th on the Down run in 2025 and completed the 89.98-kilometre course in 5 hours and 41 minutes. 

His second attempt in 2026 was successful, breaking an 18-year record for the Up run with a time of 5 hours and 15 minutes.

“I think first and foremost, it actually takes a lot of time. Not just on a weekly basis, but over a long period. It takes months and years to prepare for this race,” Kusche told the SABC.

“This year, my preparation was a lot better than last year. But it is also about the small improvements I have made over the years, and I got rewarded by winning it.”

Kusche’s day job is a data scientist at Pepkor Lifestyle, which is a subsidiary of the JSE-listed retail giant Pepkor Holdings. 

The lifestyle business encompasses Pepkor’s diversified retail and consumer finance businesses, including Incredible Connection, HiFiCorp, Rochester, Russells, and Sleepmasters. 

“Pepkor Lifestyle employs me as a data scientist, where I leverage my background in statistics and actuarial science to add value,” Kusche said. 

Kusche studied in the United States, where he studied actuarial science at the University of Nebraska and earned a Master of Science in Statistics at Northern Arizona University. 

During his studies, Kusche’s running prowess shone through. He was the first Nebraska athlete to ever break the four-minute mile barrier. 

Kusche has spent his relatively short working career at Pepkor Lifestyle and is in the process of completing the Actuarial Society of South Africa examinations. 

He is modest about his running, describing it as something he does in his free time with a specific focus on the Comrades. 

Kusche grew up around running, with his mother participating in the 2004 Comrades. Despite this, he never saw himself doing the race until more recently.

“I initially thought, ‘Why would anyone do this to themselves?’ When I started working, I did a couple of 10-kilometre runs and slowly increased the distance until I realised that I might be one of those crazy ones who do the Comrades,” he said.

“It is a life-changing experience. It is so hard that if you do finish, you prove to yourself that you can do difficult things, and it fills you with self-confidence and trust.”

He has become an overnight celebrity following his Comrades win, with Pepkor’s staff giving him a joyful guard of honour on his first day back at the office. 

“This race has transformed my life, and I can only hope we continue to cherish it for future generations,” Kusche said in response to congratulations from the government. 

He also noted that Pepkor has been supportive throughout his journey to advance his career, both in and out of the office.