Guy Botterill and Henry Köhne laid the foundation for victory on Friday in the 2026 GR Stella 1000 Marathon by posting the fourth-fastest time in the qualifying race before winning the opening two stages to take the overnight lead. From there, the pair opened the road throughout Saturday and Sunday, facing some of the event’s most challenging navigation through long grass, sparse tracks and classic desert-race terrain. Despite the disadvantage of running first on the road, the crew never relinquished their advantage, bringing the Toyota GR Hilux IMT EVO home in a winning time of 9hr 49min 53sec after six competitive stages.
It marked a dream first outing for Köhne alongside Botterill, who produced a faultless drive to secure victory in South Africa’s premier marathon rally-raid event. Botterill led the whole way “Unbelievable,” said Botterill afterwards. “It was a tough few days, leading the way all the way and opening the road throughout.
“We had a flawless run with no mistakes. And it is really special to win Toyota Gazoo Racing’s home event. “A thousand kilometres of racing is no joke.
But we are super happy to stand on the top step of the podium.” Botterill was equally complimentary of his new navigator. It felt like we’d been together for a long time. “We’ve competed against each other for many years.
But this was our first event together in the car and it worked fantastically.” The Toyota GR Hilux IMT EVO romping home to victory. Picture: Supplied Late setback costs Saood Variawa Championship leader Saood Variawa and Charan Moore once again demonstrated race-winning pace throughout the marathon. The pair remained within striking distance of the leaders throughout the event and started the final day less than a minute behind their team-mates.
They mounted a determined charge during Sunday’s stages before their rally was disrupted by an incident involving a spectator vehicle on a transfer section before the final competitive stage. Although the crew repaired the damage and continued, they lost valuable time and eventually finished fifth overall. Solid performance from Sa’aad Variawa Youngster Sa’aad Variawa and navigator Wade Harris continued their impressive development by finishing fourth overall in what was their first marathon event.
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