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Nedbank running club aim for victory at Om Die Dam

With only 4 weeks to go to the annual Om Die Dam 50km, the Nedbank running club has assembled a strong team looking for nothing but victory on the day.

Spearheading the men’s team will be none other than defending Om Die Dam 50km champion, Joseph Manyedi who took the title last year in a time of 2:55:37 on what was a very warm day around the Hartbeespoort Dam.

Manyedi was part of the Nedbank running club development team last year and led home his fellow training partners who finished 2nd, 5th and 6th. Apart from his victory, Manyedi then went on to a 5th place finish at the Comrades Marathon and then an 11th place finish in the World 50km Championships where he represented South Africa for the first time.

“Last year was a very good year for me and I was happy with the way I performed,” said Manyedi. “I would like to defend my title again this year and I also want to win Comrades. That is my big goal.”

Joining him will be former Om Die Dam winner Marko Mambo from Nedbank running club Zimbabwe who despite turning 49 this year, is still a force to be reckoned with, bagging back to back Comrades gold medals in 2018 and last year. Mambo won the Om Die Dam in one of the rainiest years yet. A multiple winner of the Two Oceans Marathon, Mambo had chosen the Om Die Dam to have more time to recover for Comrades.

“I have won Two Oceans in the past, but I am also getting older, so Om Die Dam is not only slower than Two oceans, but there is more time to train for Comrades in between,” said Mambo from his training base in Zimbabwe. “It is still my dream that I have to win Comrades before I can put the running shoes away.”

Defending Comrades champion Edward Mothibi will also be out in action. Having run last years Om Die Dam and Two Oceans as training runs ahead of Comrades, it will remain to be seen if he will give this race a full go or keep something in reserve for Comrades.

Former 1500m Olympic Games finalist Juan Van Deventer will finally be making his ultra-marathon debut, with the hopes of Comrades gold on the horizon come June. Van Deventer, who was down to run Om Die Dam last year was stricken by injury and had to pull out before the race.

In the women’s race, Tanith Maxwell who has represented South Africa on multiple occasions including the Olympic Games, will be making her Om Die Dam 50km debut after numerous Two Oceans gold medals and a Comrades gold medal on debut in 2018 when she finished 4th. Maxwell is on the way back after surgery to an injury sidelined her for most of 2019. Cobie Smith who was part of the South African team who took part in the 2019 50km Africa Championships where she came in 5th will also look for top honors at this years Om die Dam

TWO OCEANS MARATHON Club Member Verification open

Please make sure that your details are updated and that your Nedbank Running Club verify your entry between 10am on Monday, 17 February 2020 - 5pm on Friday, 13 March 2020

Please note: This is the only window for club member verification. Clubs should please kindly verify their members' 2020 details by no later than 5pm on 13 March 2020.

Do not hesitate to contact the Two Oceans Marathon Race Office should you experience any difficulty or require assistance.

Contact Race Office on 087 740 5260 or at info@twooceansmarathon.org.za.

2020 SPAR GRAND PRIX LIKELY TO BE CLOSEST ON RECORD

The 2020 SPAR Grand Prix appears likely to be one of the closest in its 14-year history.

The SPAR Grand Prix, which is one of the most important contests in South African road running, recognises the most successful athlete in the six SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge races, which take place around the country from March until October.  

Prize money this year amounts to just under R550 000, not counting the prize money for individual races.

Runners accumulate points according to their position in each race, with the winner earning 20 points and the 20th placed runner earning one point.  They can also earn points by beating the winning time in the corresponding race in 2019.  All runners who beat this time receive 10 time incentive points.

Nedbank Running Club Namibian runner Helalia Johannes dominated the 2019 SPAR Grand Prix winning all six races in record time.  She finished the competition with a full house of 180 points – the maximum possible. She was the first person to achieve this. In several races, the fast pace set by Johannes saw several other runners earning bonus points as well.

SPAR Grand Prix coordinator, Ian Laxton, says this is what will make the 2020 SPAR Grand Prix so competitive. “I don’t think we will see so many runners earning time points this year,” said Laxton.
“In fact, I think even Johannes will find it hard to beat the times she set last year.  This means that every point will count – I think there will be just two or three points between the top runners.
“They won’t have that nice cushion of 10 points and they will have to run every race,” said Laxton.

Young up and coming runners will also be eligible for an exciting new award – the Breakthrough Runner of the Year.  This will be awarded to a South African athlete, who, in the opinion of the panel of judges, has shown the most improvement, and who has made an impact on the SPAR Challenge Series for the first time.  The winner will receive prize money of R20 000.

Three-times SPAR Grand Prix winner Rene Kalmer has once again been named an ambassador for the SPAR Grand Prix and this year she has been joined as ambassador by the 2017 winner, Kesa Molotsane.
“I am very happy and excited to be an ambassador for the SPAR Grand Prix,” said Molotsane. “Through the Grand Prix, SPAR has done much to empower women and I am very pleased to be able to give something back.  I believe I can offer hope to other women.”

Modern Athlete have been named media partners of the 2020 SPAR Grand Prix season and the series is endorsed by Athletics South Africa.

The first SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge race takes place in Port Elizabeth on Saturday March 21 and the second in Cape Town on Sunday April 5. The Grand Prix then moves to Durban (21 June) followed by Tshwane (1 August), back to KwaZulu-Natal for the Maritzburg race on 16 August and ends in the City of Joburg (4 October) which this year celebrates its 30th race Birthday.

Mthangayi from Nedbank running club takes Western Province title

Lindikhaya Mthangayi from the Nedbank running club green dream team may have a 40-tag pinned to his vest indicating that the pastor from Khayelitsha is a veteran but don’t let that fool you.

Mthangayi took victory in the Peninsula Marathon which doubled up as the Western Province Championships, crossing the line in 2:18:02 to pick up the overall title as well as veteran title in the process.

“The performance today is indicative of how the training is going for Two Oceans,” said a happy Mthangayi after the race. “My goal for this year is to win the Two Oceans and I feel good heading towards it.”

Polish International athlete Dominika Stelmach who runs for the Nedbank RC was also down in Cape Town on holiday and took 2nd place in the half marathon, running 1:18:31. Stelmach is looking to both Two Oceans and Comrades this year, events in which she placed in the top 10 earning gold medals in both last year.

In the Aurum Marathon, Nedbank RC athlete and green dream team member Deanne Horn took victory in a new marathon personal best of 2:47:50. Horn, who has represented South Africa over 50 & 100km distances will head into this years Comrades Marathon in great form eyeing her first Comrades gold medal finish.

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Nedbank Running club excel in Lagos, Nigeria

The annual Lagos City Marathon took place over the weekend and assembled a World class field of International athletes with $50 000 going to the victor, $40 000 for 2nd and $30 000 for 3rd.

In the men’s race, Kenyan David Barmasai Tumo who was a former winner of the Dubai Marathon went out early to the front and held on all the way to the finish to take victory in 2:10:23. Nedbank running club Ethiopia’s Debeko Dakamo nearly managed to run down the Kenyan athlete but ran out of distance to finish 2nd in 2:10:55. Teammates Wubshet Demisse (2:12:48) and Moses Kurgat (2:13:06) were 7th and 8th giving the Nedbank running club 3 in the top 10, a phenomenal stat given the quality of the field that assembled in Lagos.

“I am happy today because I got my best time in the marathon, but I am not happy that I could not cross the line as the winner,” said Dakamo after the race. “It was a tactical mistake to let David get too far ahead. We thought he would slow down but he didn’t and then when I pushed it was too late.”

In the women’s race, Salem Abere Alebachew finished 10th in 2:40:14.

Over in Cape Town at the Freedom run 27km, Mthandazo Qhina ran an amazing race to not only take overall victory but also first veteran in a time of 1:32:49 indicating that his preparation is going well ahead of this years Two Oceans Marathon where Qhina is a multiple gold medallist

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