Nedbank Running Club’s athletes are looking forward to Mandela Day Challenge

Nelson Mandela once said that “sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire.  It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers”.  

So it is fittingly that the memory of this great statesman is commemorated during the annual Mandela Day Marathon. The race starts on Saturday at the Pietermaritzburg City Hall and finish at the Manaye Hall in Imbali where Mandela made his last speech in 1961 before he was arrested in Howick.

It is now the fifth year the race honours both this incredible man and running.

The race organizers seemingly tried to stay true to Mandela’s struggle for freedom aptly naming an eight kilometre climb “Struggle Hill” and the other the “Challenge Climb”. Just as a matter of interest the second climb is two kilometres long.

Athletes of the Nedbank Running Club are up for the challenge. In fact it won’t be a surprise if one the club’s Ethiopian athletes should win as ten kilometres of pure climbing should not be a deterrent for the likes of Tekletsion Kassahun Tefera, Rabirra Gutu Tafa and Kebede Aberra Dinke who are used to train in serious mountains at high altitudes. Don’t forget Coolboy Ngamole who is consistently able to run times faster than 2 hours 20 minutes in the marathon.

As far as the women’s marathon is concerned it won’t be a surprise if Ethiopia’s Addis Eshela Gemechu, Selam Abere Alebachew or Chelitu Bogale Asefa will contest for a podium finish.

Nick Bester (NB Sport) is quietly confident that his athletes will be dominant in the half-marathon as well. He has good reason to be confident. At the recent South African Half-marathon Championship in Port Elizabeth three of the Nedbank Running Club athletes finished in the top ten which prove that they are in good form.

David Manja finished 4th in 1:02:15 while Phillemon Mathiba was 9th only 25 seconds slower with Joel Mmone  finishing 10th.

Nedbank Running Club Supports Launch of 2017 Comrades Marathon

The Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) launched its 2017 Comrades Marathon campaign in Johannesburg on Thursday 18 August 2016.

The event attracted the attendance of members of the media, road-running dignitaries, stakeholders, the nation’s top runners, sporting personalities and 2016 Comrades Marathon champions David Gatebe and Charne Bosman.

 CMA General Manager, Chris Fisher unveiled the 2017 campaign saying, ‘Last year’s campaign ‘Izokuthoba – It Will Humble You’ was a great success. This year we wanted to come up with a campaign that described the inclusive nature of the biggest and oldest ultra-marathon in the world.’
 Fisher adds, ‘A very definitive feature of our race is that it takes not only the commitment and dedication of thousands of people to stage the race, it also demands an enormous amount of discipline and determination from our runners. We debated long and hard and eventually came up with a phrase with a double meaning: ‘It Takes All of You – Zinikele’.’
 The 92nd Comrades Marathon will be an up-run on Sunday, 4 June 2017. The race starts at the Durban City Hall at 05h30 and ends 12 hours later at the Scottsville Race Course in Pietermaritzburg, covering a distance of approximately 90km.
 The opening date for entries is 1 September 2016. The entry period closes on 30 November 2016 or as soon as the entry cap of 20,000 has been reached. Prospective entrants are encouraged to get their entries in early to avoid disappointment.

Entry fees for the 2017 Comrades Marathon are as follows:
 • Local Entries : R 460.00
 • Rest of Africa : R 770.00
 • International : R2650.00

South African runners will be eligible for the ‘early bird’ entry fee of R420 if their entry is received before 30 September 2016. The regular South African entry fee of R460 will kick in on 1 October 2016 until the entry process closes.

Entry is free to all runners who have completed the Comrades Marathon 25 times or more.

Runners can enter as follows:
 • online via the Comrades Marathon website: www.comrades.com;
 • by posting their completed entry form with proof of payment to the CMA Office in Pietermaritzburg:
 P.O. Box 100621, Scottsville, 3209;
 • by handing in their completed entry form together with payment at Comrades House, 18 Connaught Road, Scottsville, Pietermaritzburg.

Qualifying for the 2017 Comrades Marathon will be applicable from 27 August 2016 till 1 May 2017. Runners are advised that the 2016 Comrades Marathon will not be an automatic qualifier for next year’s race.

CMA Race Director, Rowyn James says, ‘We have amazing plans in place to ensure a great race day come Sunday, 4 June 2017. We urge our runners to enter early and take advantage of our Early Bird Entry Fee, specifically for South African runners.’

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Skosana wins over 8km at Gauteng North Cross Country Championship

Enoch Skosana (Nedbank Running Club), who is 40 years old, won the 8 km race at the Gauteng North Cross Country Championship in Bronkhorstspruit.

Kgoso Tsosane and Esau Radebe, also from the Nedbank Running Club, impressed because they competed in two cross country races on the same day.

In the 4 km race for senior men Tsosane finished 2nd and Radebe third. Racing over 10 kilometres Tsosane again finished second, with Radebe in seventh place.

Catherine Skosana, who is 35 years old, was second in the women’s 4km race.

As pleased as Skosana was to still be able to win races at the age of 40, that was not what excited him most over the weekend. The way the youngsters from his Nedbank Skosana training squad performed made even prouder.

Kamogelo Molapo was especially impressive with the way she raced in the 4 km race for under-15-girls to finish third.

According to Skosana, who has represented South Africa at the World Athletics Championships, the World Half-marathon Championships, as well as the World Cross Country Championships, cross country running is the foundation for building a successful athletics career.

“Through cross country running the young athletes learn the importance of perseverance, which will stand them to good stead later when they might go on to represent South Africa at major events.

“I will be honest. My goal is to try and help young athletes who are competing in the 5 000 metres, the 10 000 metres and the marathon to become Olympians. But we take it one step and one goal at a time.”

Skosana views a proper diet as an integral part of the process for young athletes to develop into future champions. That is why he is appreciative of the support he has been receiving from NB Sport.

“Nick has been providing us with FutureLife products which help to ensure that the young athletes eat at least one proper meal per day.”

***No less than 27 athletes from the Nedbank Soweto Development Club will compete at the South African Cross Country Championships to be held in George on 11 September.

Siyaya Khoza, club manager, is justly proud of his athlete’s performances.

“It is the biggest number of our athletes that will compete at a national championship since I took over in 2014. We are positive that some of these athletes will be on the podium at the Championships.”

Khoza said the support the athletes get from NB Sport definitely helps the athletes to perform at their best when it matters.

Results 20-21 August 2016

With his victory in Beaufort West during the weekend, Lloyd Bosman proved that he is a ‘tough customer’ to beat over 21 km.

During the past six weeks he has won three half-marathons. In July he won the Knysna Half-marathon, followed by a victory in the Madiba Half-marathon. His winning time over the weekend was 1:08:56.

The Nedbank Running Club athletes certainly made their presence felt at the Ocean Basket Marcel van’t Slot 15km Memorial race in Pretoria. The Kenyan, Moses Kurgat, who runs in the colours of Nedbank Running Club, won in 45:42.

Xolisa Tyali finished third in 47:04, with Vincent Kipchirchir (Kenya/Nedbank Running Club) fourth in 48:07 and Chamankwana Mailola fifth in 48:20.

Africa Mailola put in a gutsy performance at the Clearwater Mall 10 km race in Roodepoort to finish second in a time of 31 minutes and 46 seconds.

“I am so happy with my performance especially since it was a tough hilly course. The fact that I was able to run from the front is a great confidence booster,” said Mailola.

The Capital Climb 15km race in Pietermaritzburg can be described as a ‘family affair’ with Sibonela Duma finishing second in the men’s race in a time of 50:28 and Precious Duma third in the women’s race in a time of 1:14:33.

The Nedbank Running Club women dominated at the Body Concept 10km in Port Elizabeth, taking four of the top ten positions.

Ntombesintu Mfunzi finished second in 37:06. Liza-Marie Kingston was 7th in 40:15, Davera Magson 8th in 40:52 and Margie Saunders 9th in 42:12.

Melikhaya Kepe finished 10th in the men’s race in a time of 33:05.

Another good result for the Nedbank Running Club was Mthandazo Qhina’s third- place finish at the Atlantis Half-marathon. He finished in a time of 1:08:53.

Results 13-14 August 2016

Athletes of the Nedbank Soweto Running Club were in awesome form at the cross-country league meeting in Boksburg over the weekend.

A definite highlight was the domination of the men in the 10 km race. They took the first three positions. Phillimon Mathiba won, with Ntsindiso Mphakathi finishing second and Lesenyeho Derocious Makhubal finishing third. Itumeleng Tshetlanyane crossed the line in 9th place.

The presence of Sibusiso Nzima, Nedbank's Olympian, at the meeting did a lot to inspire his teammates.

Jeanette McKenzie again showed her consistency in the cross-country league by winning the women's 4 km race. Nomasonto Skosana was victorious in the women's 40-plus category.

***Lewis Masunda (Nedbank) won the Makro Wierie Road Race 10 km run in Centurion on Saturday in a time of 32:31, while Gerda Steyn outran her rivals to win the women's race in 39:45.

The veterans' race was won by Lewis Masunda, while Don Charles finished first in the masters' race.

The men's 21 km race turned out to be quite a humdinger. Collen Maluadzi (TUT) and Collen Mailola (Nedbank) ran shoulder to shoulder during most of the race. In the end Maluadzi's legs failed him when it mattered and Mailola won.

Emmah Mathibela (Nedbank) won the women's 21 km in 1:09:00.

***The Supa Mama Savages 21 km in Durban was won by Zwane Bonginkosi (from Phantane AC). Nedbank's Elvis Muziwenkosi finished 4th in 1:11:22.

Thandabantu Rhafuza (9th in a time of 1:19:37) and Cebo Mkhize (10th in a time of 1:19:39) were Nedbank's other top ten finishers.

Results 6-7 August 2016

Great performance from the Nedbank Running Club athletes for the first weekend of August

Abdenico Mashaba of the Nedbank Running Club Gauteng North Skosana Development Wins Skukuza Half Marathon

Carine Gagiano of Nedbank Running Club LVCC Nelspruit was 2nd woman and 5th overall in the Num-Num 32km Trail Run

Nedbank Running Club KZN athlete Cary-Ann Smith won the Mthunzini Bush Change 16km in 72min 12sec on Saturday and on Sunday Fikile Mbuthuma came in 2nd in the Woman in Action 10km in a time of 40min 29sec