ROAD RUNNING
Goals
Chasing Goals
Over the last few years , Nobukhosi Nobuhle Tshuma has done exceptionally well on the ultra-marathon scene in South Africa , culminating in her historic fifth-place finish at the 2024 Comrades Marathon , but this success has just made her hungrier for still more . – BY TATHE MSIMANGO
Nobukhosi Tshuma ’ s steely determination and hard work have paid off in 2024 .
N12 Ultra Marathon 50km in 3:16:29 . She continued in that form in 2024 , taking second place in the City to City 50km in March ( 3:30:37 ), retaining her N12 Ultra title in April ( 3:18:58 ) and winning both the MiWay Wally Hayward Marathon ( 3:05:47 ) and the Tshwane North Ultra 50km ( 3:36:04 ) in May .
She then stunned the running fraternity in June by running a tactical and composed 6:12:18 to take fifth position in her debut Comrades , and also became the first black female athlete to finish in the top five of an ‘ Up Run ’ from Durban to Pietermaritzburg . There was still more reason to celebrate – and more history in the making – as Nobukhosi ’ s husband , 2023 Two Oceans Marathon winner Givemore Mudzinganyama , finished 10th in the men ’ s race , making them the first husband and wife pair to both win gold medals in the same Comrades !
When the thousands of athletes line up for the TCS New York Marathon on 3 November , one of the most excited women in the race is undoubtedly going to be Nobukhosi Buhle Tshuma . After a stellar year on the roads that saw the 30-year-old win several shorter ultra-marathons and finish in the top five of the women ’ s race in her debut Comrades Marathon , the South African-based Zimbabwean athlete will be tackling her first international race , where she will line up alongside the likes of Kenyans Helen Obiri ( 2024 Olympic Marathon bronze medallist and 2023 New York Marathon winner ) and Sharon Lokedi ( 2022 New York winner , 2023 New York third-place finisher and 2024 Boston Marathon runner-up ), amongst others . No surprise then that she is so excited about the upcoming race .
“ I never thought running can take me far in life , so this is a dream come true for me . I have heard that New York is very tough , as there are a lot of hills in it , but
I can ’ t wait to experience all of that , and be on start line with world class athletes ,” says the still somewhat overwhelmed hairdresser from Tembisa and mother of three , who runs for the Entsika team and is sponsored by New Balance . “ I have never in my life attended an overseas race , so it going to be the first time for me . I was supposed to run the London Marathon earlier this year , but I failed to apply for the visa on time , because at that time , I didn ’ t have knowledge about the process on how it is working . But this time , I ’ m familiar with the process , to avoid the same mistake .”
Leading the Way
Nobukhosi has enjoyed a rapid rise to running stardom in the last few years . Her talent has always been there – for example , she finished eighth in the 2019 Old Mutual Two Oceans Half Marathon with a 1:19:22 finish to earn a gold medal , and that same year clocked a 2:43:15 marathon in Mossel Bay – but in 2023 she enjoyed a breakthrough year at the longer distances . She finished fourth in the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon 56km ( 3:45:40 ) and won the
Comrades success for Nobukhosi , husband Givemore
Mudzinganyama and coach Hendrick Ramaala .
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