Fast times light up Border 10km champs
Record field show their mettle on tough course
FOR the second year in succession, another record field participated in the East London Eye Hospital Laser 10km road race organised by East London Athletic Club on Saturday morning.
Run on a reasonably tough course through the suburb of Beacon Bay, and incorporating the Border 10km Championships, the athletes gave it all they had, though there were some notable runners missing from the field up front.
The men’s race produced the same one and two as was the case in 2016, both with marginally better times in superb conditions.
Real Gijimas’s Luthando Hejana held off Bulelani Mgubo of All Stars, recording a winning time of 31:29, which was 15 seconds quicker than last year.
Mgubo ran 32:02 and that was 13 seconds faster. The same two athletes finished second and third at the PWC 10km, a week earlier.
Up-and-coming runner from Old Selbornians, Malixole Kalideni, and one well worth looking out for in the future, was third.
The women’s race was again dominated by Easy Equities Born 2 Run’s Hanlie Botha, who took 45 seconds off her time of last year.
Botha’s club mate, Stephanie Smith, made her return to racing after more than a year – and an impressive return it was.
For someone who had indicated she was unsure about the race and did not particularly like running 10km distances, she blitzed the route and ran a personal best of 38:14 to finish second.
Old Selbornians’s, Andrea Ranger, has often carried the day when Botha has not been in the field and she seldom disappoints in her efforts. She finished third in 41:09 – an eight-second improvement from when she finished second last year.
The age group racing and Border medal chase produced a few surprise results and some new names.
In the sub-vet category, Eskom’s Thembisile Vakele took gold, with Sizwe Ngqoba of Gijimas in silver position and Bryan Ranger of Old Selbornians the bronze.
Botha took gold in the women’s race, with Born 2 Run’s Lesley Blair in second and Charlene Collins of Oxford Striders taking bronze.
Nedbank’s Zingisile Marikeni won gold in the men’s veteran event with Doran Fritz second and the Overtakers’ Xolile Maschicila in third.
Michelle Conroy, in her first outing for Born 2 Run, won a comfortable gold in the women’s vets race. Carol Tinhoff of Old Selbornians bagged silver and Born 2 Run’s Bonnie Currin the bronze.
Makaya Masumpa was certainly not a surprise recipient of the gold medal in the masters men’s race and the Born 2 Run man still managed a top 10 overall. Mzoli Mpalala of the new Old Mutual club won silver and Born 2 Run’s Simon Nqxeke bronze.
Sharon Wood of Run Walk for Life took gold in the same women’s category with two Born 2 Run members, Sherae Kreusch and Maureen Muhlenberg taking silver and gold respectively.
The most senior category, that of 60+ fell to Charl Pienaar and Beanie Beard, both of Old Selbornians, with runners up being Kenneth Maci of Buffs and Desley Scholtz of Oxford Striders. The bronze medals went to Graham Kumm and Denise O’Hagen respectively from Oxford Striders and EL Pacers.
The pick of the junior men came from Real Gijimas, with the medals going to Menzeleli Lithobe, Sabelo Dunywa and Aphiwe Livi, while the junior woman to win gold was Asiphe Kolisile of all Stars.