Latest news with #SowetoMarathon
The Citizen
28-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Thembisa runner clocks personal best at Comrades after 550 days of running
Thembisa runner clocks personal best at Comrades after 550 days of running For Thembisa runner Thabo Moeketsi, the Comrades Marathon is not just a race — it's a spiritual, physical, and emotional journey. 'Comrades is not a race — it's an experience that introduces you to your inner self, your true self,' Thabo said. 'Each year, you discover something new about yourself.' This year marked Thabo's 10th official Comrades Marathon start and his eighth finish, clocking a personal best of 9 hours, 59 minutes and 59 seconds. ALSO READ: Rabasotho SAPS sergeant conquers second Comrades Marathon It was a breakthrough moment for the dedicated runner, who missed the cut-off before the finish in 2015 and again in 2023 at Pinetown. But 2025 wasn't only about a medal or a personal best. It was Thabo's fourth year running in support of the KwaZulu-Natal Community Chest, an organisation that feeds 7 845 children daily through its early childhood development (ECD) programme. 'This has given me a reason beyond personal glory. I'm able to raise funds for God's greatest gift — children,' he said. His success this year was made possible by his unwavering discipline. On race day, June 8, Thabo marked day 550 of an unbroken daily running streak, a challenge he started on December 8, 2023. During this time, he has consistently achieved personal bests in every race he has preparation for this year's Comrades was extensive. ALSO READ: Watch: Comrades Marathon hero helps collapsed runner finish race He participated in the Soweto Marathon (42.2km) and Tough One (32km) in November, followed by the Johnson Crane Marathon (42.2km) in January, Tshwane Ultra North (50km) in March, and the MiWay Marathon (42.2km) in May. On average, he ran 12km per training session, often heading out after work between 18:00 and 21:30. He supplements his routine with strength training, drinks three litres of water daily, and maintains a vegetarian diet, which he has followed for the past 15 years. 'I trained alone, and I ran alone on race day,' he said. 'I usually play gospel music through my phone while I run, but this year I left it behind to stay fully focused. Still, in my mind, one song played over and over: 'We are under an open heaven' by Maranda Curtis.' High-fives from children along the route and encouragement from fellow runners kept him motivated throughout the gruelling ultra-marathon. Despite financial challenges, Thabo was able to make the trip to KwaZulu-Natal thanks to the kindness of those around him. ALSO READ: Kempton Runners ready for 2025 Comrades Marathon 'The only expense I covered was my race entry. Everything else — flights, shoes, accommodation — was sponsored.' Looking ahead, Thabo is already planning for 2026. He hopes to keep his charity donation link open year-round and dreams of representing Community Chest at the London Marathon. 'As soon as the 2026 Comrades date is announced, I'll be one of the first to enter. I plan to run it every year for as long as I can.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
19-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Roosevelt Park firefighters conquer Comrades
Two firefighters from the Franklin Roosevelt Park Fire Station have once again proven their mettle, completing the gruelling 2025 Comrades Marathon for the second time. Read more: Watch: Comrades Marathon hero helps collapsed runner finish race This year's down run, from Pietermaritzburg to Durban, proved to be a different beast altogether, testing their limits in unexpected ways. Mphekgo Leshalabe crossed the finish line in 10:30:00, earning himself a bronze medal, however, despite the medal, he admitted this year's experience was tougher than his previous uphill run. 'I did not expect a down run to be that difficult,' he confessed. 'Normally, they would say a down run is more difficult than an up run, and I experienced it myself in the marathon. The down run is difficult because I has a lot of injuries. I had blisters and the pain was unbearable on my left foot.' He paid respects to the marathon, adding that it is a different race on its own. 'It is not called the ultimate human race for nothing, finishing the race alone is something else, let alone getting the medal.' Also read: Dabulamanzi Canoe Club paddlers fish out the medals at the ICF World Marathon Championships in Metkovic, Croatia While the reward of finishing was sweet, Leshalabe fell short of his goal of achieving a Bill Rowan medal, coming in under nine hours, setting his sights higher for next year. His teammate, Tendani Nemalamangwa, shared the same experience, finishing in 10:07:00, also securing a bronze, stating that it was a challenge running in this years marathon. 'It was my second down run, so I thought I was going to do better than my first one, but it was just harder. I just think that I have to train more on down runs, but, if I was to choose, I would choose up run, which is much easier.' He emphasised the need for a holistic approach to the race, highlighting nutrition, endurance, and mental resilience as key factors. For him, the Comrades is about overcoming his limits and achieving personal milestones. He plans to focus on increased mileage to improve his performance in future races. Platoon Commander Otsile Kobue applauded the two firefighters for their incredible achievement. 'We are proud of their dedication, commitment, perseverance, and strength. They are an inspiration to all of us.' Their experiences show how even the most seasoned of runners can be challenged by the unpredictable nature of the ultimate human race. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! Related article: Soweto Marathon back from the brink of collapse At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
15-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Onalenna Khonkhobe is a future Comrades champion
One of the toughest athletes in the country, Khonkhobe has proved he can win the prestigious ultra-distance race in KZN. A couple of years ago I was watching the Comrades Marathon on TV with a friend, and when an athlete I had never heard of hit the front in the early stages, I stated with unbridled confidence that he wasn't going to win. Nobody can win Comrades without taking a conservative approach in the first half. Around 60km into the race, with my friend questioning my credentials as a self-proclaimed road running analyst, I started backpedaling in an attempt to save face. Fortunately for me, Onalenna Khonkhobe eventually bailed, and as the gold medal contenders reeled him in during the closing stages of the race, I looked less foolish. Last year, Khonkhobe went on to win two of SA's biggest races, the Two Oceans ultra-marathon and the Soweto Marathon. Repeat performance And last week there was a sense of deja vu when Khonkhobe again hit the front of the 90km Comrades Marathon in the early stages, opening a massive gap on the rest of the elite field. This time, sitting in the media centre at the finish of the race, I again claimed that he had gone out too hard. When he stopped shortly after the halfway mark and grabbed his right hamstring, that was it, I said. He was done. And this time I wasn't chatting to a friend. I was surrounded by athletics reporters who all agreed. Some 10 kilometres later, while Khonkhobe switched between walking and running, we all maintained our stance. It's only a matter of time before he's caught. Another 10 kilometres down the road and we were all glancing at each other. Is he actually going to do this? Every time he stopped or walked, we thought Khonkhobe would bail. But he kept going. And going. And going. Incredible effort He did ultimately drop out when he was caught with less than 20km to go, but as much as he was ridiculed for his approach by spectators, those of us in the media centre shared a common consensus: This dude is unbelievable. Nobody should be able to hit the front at the start of Comrades, tear the road apart like a monster and hold on for that long. Khonkhobe has proved his ability as an athlete in recent years, but Comrades is a different beast. As others have learned, you can't win the race by hitting it head on. You have to be smart, controlled and patient. That's the only way to do it. But Khonkhobe's ability to hang on after going out hard – which he has now done twice – has been astounding. He's remarkably tough, but he can't keep treating Comrades like a sprint. If he gets his head together, approaches the gruelling race properly, and gives it a real go, it's hard to imagine anyone beating him. Khonkhobe is a Comrades champion. All he has to do now is win the race… and one day he will.
IOL News
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
Pretoria's Van Zyl ready to tackle Comrades debut despiten nerves and Down Run start
Irvette van Zyl. Photo: Backpagepix Image: Backpagepix Pretoria's favourite runner, Irvette Van Zyl, is excitedly looking forward to her Comrades Marathon debut, even though she would rather have started with the Up Run. Speaking during the elite runners' pre-race conference at a hotel on the Durban beachfront, the Hollywood Athletics Club star was in her usual high spirits, despite being on a table teeming with accomplished gold medallists of The Ultimate Human Race. Among them were her teammate and defending champion Gerda Steyn, former champion Alexandra Morozova, as well as Carlo Molinaro, Caitriona Jennings, Dominika Stelmach and Courtney Olsen – all of whom have previously finished in the top ten. It is not surprising, then, that the Olympian and multiple Soweto Marathon champion had a few butterflies in her stomach as she addressed the media. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ 'Yes, I am nervous,' Van Zyl said, before breaking into her trademark giggle. 'But I am looking forward to it because it's been on my to-do list for a long time. I think it is time now, and hopefully after Sunday I will still have the legs to come back and do the Up Run, because that was the actual plan – to start with the Up Run and not the Down Run. Ja, I am excited, but let's see what happens.' Van Zyl has been training on the race route in preparation for her debut, but she says she does not see that as giving her any more advantage than the others. 'Ja, I've only done one route-tester and I didn't even finish that one, because that day I only managed to do 45km when the plan was to do 52km. But I'm gonna run and finish on Sunday.' That much is expected of her, Van Zyl having proven herself as one of the country's best distance runners over many years. Her multiple victories in the gruelling Soweto Marathon suggest she has what it takes to tackle the 90km monster that is the Comrades. In any case, she has done ultras before – having previously held the world 50km record, and also performing well at the slightly longer 56km Two Oceans Marathon, where she once dipped under the previous record when she finished second to the phenomenal Gerda Steyn. The two are now teammates at Hollywood Athletics Club, who are expected to dominate the women's race, with Steyn once again the favourite to win the title of the KwaZulu-Natal ultra she loves so much.
TimesLIVE
05-06-2025
- Sport
- TimesLIVE
Meet 60-year-old who hasn't missed a Comrades race since 1990
'I also thought I'll never go back after my first one because of the way I felt. My body was in so much pain. How I find myself going back for the second race, I don't know. Maybe it's the pain that motivates me to come back time and again,' he said. The father of two ran his first Comrades when his eldest daughter was just a week old. He ran an impressive time of 8 hrs 16 mins. 'My family has long accepted my love for the sport. They tell me if my body is still willing, I must keep going because they can see this is where my happiness starts.' Over the years, Poli has achieved four silver medals, nine Bill Rowan medals, 18 Bronze medals, three Vic Clapham medals, with a best time of 7 hours, 18 minutes. His 34 Comrades races put him in an elite class of only a handful of runners who have achieved triple green number status. Less than 100 runners have completed more than 30 Comrades Marathon. This is a remarkable achievement considering that more than 20,000 runners enter the race every year. Traditionally, runners keep the same race number each year. After completing 10 Comrades, earning three wins, or achieving five gold medals, a runner is awarded a Green Number, which is permanently reserved for them. 'I have been fortunate that nothing has kept me from going to participate, no serious injury, no flu, and not even a funeral in my family or a close friend. No-one dies in June in my family. It's as if they probably think I will not attend their funeral and so they all 'choose' other months to die. It's been God's grace,' he said. Polis said running has helped him to be disciplined. Growing up in Sebokeng, it could have been easy to go astray, but thanks to running, it gave him purpose and direction in life. He has had only two bad experiences while running, one being bumped by a drunken motorist while participating in the Soweto Marathon and a terrible fall at the Comrades Marathon. ' I once fell while running down Drummond Hill during Comrades. I was running with the leading lady, I tripped over the cat-eyes [road reflector] and went tumbling down. I had to recover for about 30 minutes, and I carried on to finish,' he said. Polis, a professional chef, has ran all his Comrades in the colours of his former employer the correctional services department. 'Comrades is an endurance race, it needs discipline, patience and mental strength. Start slow and save energy, you have a long day ahead of you. At some point exhaustion will set in and your legs will want to stop, and your mind starts looking for excuses. It is your reasons why you started the race that will take you to the finish,' he advises.
