Just months after producing a record-breaking Comrades Marathon victory, George Kusche is back in KwaZulu-Natal, but the champion is not allowing a family break to interrupt preparations for his next challenge.

Kusche, who shattered the men’s Up Run record in June, is spending five days in KZN as part of his Comrades winner’s prize, combining family time and exploring the province with training in the Drakensberg.

The itinerary includes early-morning elite training sessions in the mountains, giving Kusche an opportunity to maintain his programme ahead of his next international assignment in Amsterdam in October.

For the champion, however, returning to KZN has inevitably brought him back to the race that transformed his career.

ALSO READ | ‘I predicted it,’ says Nene after Kusche’s win

“It’s very special because we drove from Durban up to Pietermaritzburg. So there were many memories and flashbacks that I got, driving that route and thinking about the race and the preparation and the emotions that went into the last couple of days before Comrades,” Kusche said.

“It almost feels like I have a tie to this place because of the Comrades. So, in a way, it feels like I came home.”

Kusche finished 12th on his Comrades debut in the 2025 Down Run before returning this year and producing a vastly different result.

One section of the route remains particularly significant — Inchanga, where Kusche made the decisive move that helped turn his second Comrades into a record-breaking victory.

“If I have to isolate a moment, that’s the moment that changed my life and made me go on to win the race,” he said. “That’s also the reason I broke the record, because I made that decisive move at that time. So Inchanga is symbolic.”

ALSO READ | Kusche storms to victory as Wiersma takes second place

Travelling through the province again has also reminded Kusche of what separates Comrades from the international competitions he has experienced.

Having spent several years in the United States and competed abroad, he believes the relationship between spectators, communities and runners gives the race a character that is difficult to replicate elsewhere.

“The whole of South Africa is so passionate about this race because it’s not just a race. It’s a way of unifying the country,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a race on Earth that provides that opportunity. It’s the most unique South African event in my opinion.”

While Kusche’s visit is designed to give him and his family time to experience KwaZulu-Natal away from competition, running remains part of the programme.

His five-day Midlands and Drakensberg itinerary includes several early-morning elite training sessions, alongside time to experience the Central Drakensberg and Midlands. The change of pace has also allowed him to properly see terrain that he had previously experienced largely as an athlete.

“There’s so much space here with rolling hills. It’s really a beautiful part of our country,” Kusche said

It’s not a part I’ve experienced much before Comrades, and so I’m very, very grateful that I can experience it now. I’m definitely planning on coming back, even if it’s not for the Comrades.

Kusche is travelling with his wife Lizerie, their 21-month-old son George Junior, sister Suzette Kotze and brother-in-law Philip Kotze. For an elite athlete balancing competition with being a husband, father and full-time professional, the family time is important.

“What’s the purpose of life if you can’t take these moments and enjoy it with the people you love?” he said.

The immediate focus is Amsterdam, but Kusche is already clear that his Comrades story is far from complete. After finishing 12th in his first Down Run and then conquering the Up Run at his second attempt, he wants to return and master the race in the opposite direction.

“For Comrades specifically, I want to continue evolving and becoming better and better. I think I still have a long way to go in terms of progression,” Kusche said. “I want to master the Down Run, which I haven’t done yet.”

Beyond Comrades, Kusche’s ambitions extend to the traditional marathon distance. “I just want to run a fast marathon,” he said. “I would like to see if I can improve my marathon time.”

ALSO READ | Kusche surges late as Steyn closes in on women’s crown

For now, KwaZulu-Natal is providing both recovery and preparation — the province where Kusche achieved the biggest victory of his career is also becoming part of the build-up towards what comes next.

And when he returns to the Comrades start line, there will be one clear piece of unfinished business — turning a record-breaking Up Run into mastery of the Down Run.