Former Comrades winner Piet Vorster dies

Cape Town - Former Comrades 'up' run winner, Piet Vorster, has died following a brave battle against motor neuron disease (MND).

MND is the same illness that took the life of former Springbok scrumhalf Joost van der Westhuizen in February last year.

Vorster triumphed in the 1979 run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg in a time of 5:45:02.

Vorster's death was confirmed by nine-time Comrades-winning legend Bruce Fordyce on social media on Saturday.

Fordyce named Vorster among the top 10 all-time Comrades runners he competed against between 1977 and 1991.

A second Comrades legend, 10-time gold medal winner and 1995 champion, Shaun Meiklejohn, also took to Twitter to pay his respects, writing: "Saddened to hear of the passing of legendary Piet Vorster after a brave battle against motor neuron disease - he will always be remembered as a fine athlete and a true gentleman. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends."

Terribly sad news death of Piet Vorster 1979 @ComradesRace #WINNER flanked in the photo by #johnnyhalberstadt and me. So long "captain my captain" pic.twitter.com/vhxPY3Cecv

— Bruce Fordyce (@BruceFordycerun) January 13, 2018

Saddened to hear of the passing of legendary Piet Vorster after a brave battle against motor neuron disease - he will always be remembered as a fine athlete and a true gentleman. My deepest sympathies to his family and friends. https://t.co/jzCfigFxAk@ComradesRace

— Shaun Meiklejohn (@ShaunMeiklejohn) January 13, 2018