ADVERTORIAL
World Class
It ’ s now official , the Murray & Roberts Running is world class ! Several performances in the last few weeks by our ultra and marathon athletes confirmed that , and our youngsters are leading the way , too .
Shattering Those PBS
Cian Oldknow is one fast-improving young lady , too . After producing a stunning 76-minute half marathon at the SA Champs at the beginning of May – a PB by a whopping 16 minutes – it was no surprise that she clocked a 17:04 over 5000m on the Kings Park track in Durban . She also won her first ever league cross country race in the toughest race of them all in Central Gauteng , at Orange Farm , to emphasise that though she is still in her early 20 ’ s , she is on the up !
Images : Cuan Walker & Courtesy Murray & Roberts Running Club
Charne Bosman
Participating in the Nedbank Runified 50km race in Gqeberha in the Eastern Province , Charne Bosman finished eighth in the women ’ s race , clocking 3 hours 24 minutes and 4 seconds , breaking the long-standing IAU World Best Performance for the 45-49 age group by some eight minutes ! Running consistently and upping the tempo over the last half , the 2016 Comrades Marathon winner also broke her own SA Veterans ( 40- 49 ) record for 50km , which she ran in the Two Oceans Marathon in 2016 , by 39 seconds .
“ I felt strong all the way , but it was tough in a very different way , as I was running a time trial . I did not have the pleasure of running with another athlete for more than 35 kays . That was hard , and a real strain , and as a result , I believe that I can go even faster ,” said Charne . The 45-49 category is becoming highly competitive and faster than ever , as so many top runners are now entering this part of their careers , and Charne adds : “ I ’ ve really enjoyed this part of my career , and breaking a world mark is such an honour !”
Burning Up the Racetrack
Just a week later , Philani Buthelezi produced the fastest marathon yet run in a black and yellow vest when he stopped the clock on 2:13:05 at the Retail Capital Marathon at the Killarney racetrack in Cape Town . He finished sixth , just less than two minutes behind the winner , in a breakthrough race for the man from Pretoria that saw him take almost five minutes off his previous PB !
Philani , who is the reigning Peninsula Half Marathon champion , has shown good form ever since lockdown ended , and has produced sub-29-minute 10,000m speed and a string of PB ’ s on the track and road ranging from the 3000m through to the half marathon . His coach Lindsey Parry said : “ This elevates Philani ’ s status as a world class marathoner , and I ’ m firmly of
Philani Buthelezi
the belief that he can go even faster in the right race , good conditions and with solid competitors around him .”
Rio Olympian Sibusiso Nzima also showed a welcome return to form in the Cape Town race . Having done just three full weeks of pain-free training after recovering from a nagging injury , he took eighth place in 2:15:38 . “ I ’ m pleased with the effort , and it showed me that with an extended period of solid training , I can again challenge at the sharp end of marathoning in the world ,” he said . Sibusiso boasts a marathon PB of 2:11:43 , run in Seville , Spain in 2016 , and he represented South Africa not only in the Olympic Marathon in Rio in 2016 , but also in the 2015 and 2017 IAAF World Championship marathons in Beijing and London .
Sibusiso Nzima
A very pleased Club Manager Dana Coetzee says , “ The world class performances after lockdown have been so uplifting for everyone . It ’ s certainly brought home the fact that protracted periods of training without the damage of racing have brought many athletes personal bests . We just have the utmost respect for Charne , Philani and all our other runners , because they have produced incredible results , and have been dedicated way beyond the call of duty . We ’ re also really proud of how Murray & Roberts has supported the athletes through thick and thin . It ’ s really heart-warming !”
Cian Oldknow
You can find more info on the Murray & Roberts Running Club via our Facebook page or our website .
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