Cape Town - South Africa's David Gatebe has broken the 'down' record in this year's Comrades Marathon.
Gatebe, running for the TomTom Athletics Club, stopped the clock in a time of 5:18.19, breaking Russian Leonid Shvetsov's 2007 record of 5:20.49.
Shvetsov has since been implicated in a doping scandal.
Gatebe, who won the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in 2013, pocketed R1.14 million for his efforts - R400 000 for the victory, R400 000 for the new record, R190 000 for being the first South African home - and a bonus of R150 000* for being a South African winner put up by the Department of Sport and Recreation South Africa.
Fellow South African Ludwick Mamabolo finished second in a time of 5:24.05, with another local runner Bongmusa Mthembu in third in 5:26.39.
*Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula on Sunday confirmed that the initial R100 000 on offer for any South African winner had been upped to R150 000 for breaking the record.
Updated now to R150 000 for breaking the record ?? https://t.co/d7VSJt4ZZZ
— RSA Min of Sport (@MbalulaFikile) May 29, 2016