What a weekend of racing countrywide! With the past long weekend filled with two public holidays, runners from the Nedbank Running Club (NRC) took to the many different races on offer and did what they do best: filling podiums and dominating the road running scene in South Africa.
In one of the most well-known races in the country - the Miway Wally Hayward Road Race in Centurion - 2018 Two Oceans winner and Comrades gold medallist Gerda Steyn proved her Comrades training is on track when she clocked a speedy 35:35 in the 10km event of the race. Teammate Jennifer Koech took the women’s marathon top spot while NRC athletes achieved no less than 4 podium positions in the half marathon event of the race.
It is clear the NRC longer distance runners are gearing up for the nearing Comrades Marathon with many performing well at the Hibiscus Coast Challenge as well as the Pongola Sugar Marathon. Sthemele Fanekho took 2nd place in the Men’s 48km at the Hibiscus Coast Challenge while teammate and Veteran Emmanuel Nzama won the Veterans category. The NRC women stormed to victory with Amela Ebel, Fikile Mbuthuma and Maureen Dladla taking 1st, 2nd and 3rd positions in the Women’s Open category.
The Pongola Sugar Cane Marathon saw 3 podium positions in the Men’s Open category going to Thulani Duma, Mzwenkosi Mjaja and Thulani Manana with team mate Winile Mnisi winning the women’s race.
The NRC speedsters showed great form at the Voet of the Wine Route 10km race in Kuilsriver where they filled podiums in each and every age category, from the Open Men’s category to the Women’s Grandmasters category. Siviwe Nkombi and Mthandazo Qhina placed 2nd and 3rd respectively while the Veteran trio of Bulelwa Simae, Busisiwe Matiwane and Ursula Frans placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Veterans category.
Two days previously Qhina, Matiwane and Obertina Kanyongo also placed in the top three in their respective categories at the Nantes Freedom To Run 10km in Athlone.
More impressive performances came at the Avis Run 2 Raise 10km in George where NRC athletes took 12 podium positions. Special mention goes to the trio of Lloyd Bosman, Godwin Heyns and Donovan Jantjies who took 1st, 2nd and 3rd in the Open Men’s category, something that is becoming the norm at races in George!
In the open women’s category their female counterparts also took over the podium with all three podium positions going to Melissa van Rensburg, Stephang Pedro and Anastasia Plaatjies.
RESULTS
ROBOR SCAFFOLDING 50 KM, MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 10 KM?, BENONI, 29 APRIL
50km
MEN
Open?
7. Patrick Kanyane (NRC) 3:36:49
Half Marathon
WOMEN?
Masters
1. Ansa Strydom (NRC) 1:50:17
VOET OF THE WINE ROUTE 10 KM, KUILS RIVER, 29 APRIL
MEN
Open
2. Siviwe Nkombi (NRC) 31:54?
3. Mthandazo Qhina (NRC) 32:07 (1st Vet)
Veterans
1. Mthandazo Qhina (NRC) 32:07
Masters
3. Andrew Cooper (NRC) 38:06
WOMEN
Open
2. Anneline Roffey (NRC) 41:05
Veterans
1. Bulelwa Simae (NRC) 42:02
2. Busisiwe Matiwane (NRC) 43:22
3. Ursula Frans (NRC) 44:38
Masters
1. Obertina Kanyongo (NRC/ZIM) 42:09
3. Olga Howard (NRC) 45:41
Grandmasters
3. Charmaine Cupido (NRC) 52:18
NANTES FREEDOM TO RUN 10 KM, ATHLONE, 27 APRIL
(Because many runners ran short due to insufficient marshalling, the performances in this race will be disregarded for statistical purposes.)
MEN
Veterans
1. Mthandazo Qhina (NRC) 30:42
2. Vakalisa Kopolo (NRC) 31:29
Masters
3. Andrew Cooper (NRC) 36:34
WOMEN
Veterans
2. Chantel Simpson (NRC) 40:48
3. Busisiwe Matiwane (NRC) 44:23
Masters
1. Obertina Kanyongo (NRC/ZIM) 39:59?
HIBISCUS COAST CHALLENGE, 48KM, HALF MARATHON AND 10KM CHALLENGE, UVONGO, 1ST MAY 2018
48KM
MEN
Open
2. Sthemele Fanekho (NRC) 2:57:37
Veterans
1. Emmanuel Nzama (NRC) 3:07:06
WOMEN
Open
1. Amela Ebel (NRC) 3:18:32
2. Fikile Mbuthuma (NRC) 3:37:48
3. Maureen Dladla (NRC) 4:15:59
Veterans
1. Fikile Mbuthuma (NRC) 3:37:48
Masters
1. Amela Ebel (NRC) 3:18:32
Half Marathon
WOMEN
Open
1. Zama Mokoena (NRC) 1:24:21
3. Zandile Menze (NRC) 1:37:18
PONGOLA SUGER CANE MARATHON, HALF MARATHON & 10KM, PONGOLA, 28 APRIL
10km
MEN
Open
1. Sipho Hlatshwayo (NRC) 31:52
2. Phakamani Kunene (NRC) 32.04
4. Musa Nene (NRC) 33.47
Half Marathon
MEN
Open
1. Sibusiso Kubheka 67.00
2. Bonginkosi Mavuso 67.02
Marathon
MEN
Open
1. Thulani Duma (NRC) 2.28.10
2. Mzwenkosi Mjaja (NRC) 2.29.53
3. Thulani Manana (NRC) 2.33.32
WOMEN
Open
1. Winile Mnisi (NRC) 3.09.00
GETERITE CHALLENGE MARATHON, HALF & 10KM, VERULAM, 1 MAY
10KM
WOMEN
Open
1. Cherie Barnard (NRC) 42.48
4. Sarah King (NRC) 44.22
Half Marathon
WOMEN
Open
2. Ash Naidoo (NRC) 1.48
Marathon
Men
Open
1. Mzwenkosi Mjaja (NRC) 2.30.20
2. Mawande Hlongwa (NRC) 2.30.24
35-39
2. Walter Mjeara (NRC) 2:34.11
WOMEN
35-39
2. Nonkululeko Mbambo (NRC) 3.45.25
MIWAY WALLY ROAD RACE, CENTURION, 1 MAY 2018
Marathon
WOMEN
Open
1. Jennifer Koech (NRC/KEN) 02:55:56
4. Emmah Mathibela (NRC) 03:10:41
MASTERS
2. Ansa Strydom (NRC) 03:53:54
GRANDMASTERS
3. Jessica Maartens (NRC) 04:59:32
Half Marathon
MEN
Open
2. Kgosi Tsosane (NRC) 01:11:51
Veterans
1. Peter Medupe (NRC) 01:14:27
WOMEN
Open
3. Deanne Horn (NRC) 01:30;02
Grandmasters
3. Suzette Venter (NRC) 02:17:44
10KM
WOMEN
Open
1. Gerda Steyn (NRC) 35:35
2. Noko Shogole (NRC) 37:45 (1st Vet)
Veterans
1. Noko Shogole (NRC) 37:45
AVIS RUN 2 RAISE 10KM, GEORGE, 1 MAY
MEN
Juniors
1. Christiaan Lingerveld (NRC) 37:01
Open
1. Lloyd Bosman (NRC) 31:16
2. Godwin Heyns (NRC) 34:23
3. Donovan Jantjies (NRC) 35:43
Walkers
1. Maxwell Brown (NRC) 1:03:52
WOMEN
Juniors
1. Stephang Pedro (NRC) 41:21
Open
1. Melissa van Rensburg (NRC) 41:06
2. Stephang Pedro (NRC) 41:21
3. Anastasia Plaatjies (NRC) 45:27
Grandmasters
1. Mariet de Haan (NRC) 58:19
Great Grandmasters
1. Anna-Marie van Eck (NRC) 1:12
Walkers
1. Nolene van Rensburg (NRC) 59:59