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Collecting Podiums and Top 10s
Catch up on the latest Black & Yellow news from the Murray & Roberts Running Club , with the last few months producing our most successful period yet !
Domination at Peninsula
The road
Jeannie Henderson between the Mother City and Simon ’ s Town was black and yellow as the Murray & Roberts Running Club sped to victory in the recent Peninsula Marathon . In fact , it was a historymaking performance from the squad as they took the top Kate Rees four places in the half marathon and the top three steps of the podium over the standard marathon distance . Three shut-outs on the podium ( including the women ’ s veteran category in the marathon ), five category wins and a massive haul of fast races is what the Bedfordview-based club presented in one of the country ’ s oldest races .
In the marathon , run for the 54th time on this fast route , local man Sithembisiso Mqhele stormed to a gun-to-ribbon win in 2 hours 22 minutes exactly , leading his team mates Pfarelo Mathada ( 2:23:27 ) and veteran Thulane Magagula ( 2:26:30 ) over the line in second and third respectively . Mqhele said , “ I was not pushed after the seven-kilometre mark , and it was tough to run by myself for so long . I did enjoy it , though , and even if I faded a little in the second half , I feel as if I could have gone faster if I was pushed .”
In the women ’ s race , 44-year-old Johannesburger Kate Rees was second overall and therewith also clinched the over-40 prize with a 2:54:48 clocking . Another Gauteng-based Murray & Roberts athlete , Jeannie Henderson , was third in just
Thulane Magagula , Sithembiso Mqhele and Pfarelo Mathada
Philani Buthelezi , Sibusiso Nzima and David Manja
over 2:57 , with no less than seven women donning the black and yellow clinching a spot in the top ten . That , as far as we know , is another record-setting performance at the Peninsula .
Still More Podium Positions
In the half marathon , it was more of the same as 35-year-old Pretoria-based Rio Olympian Sibusiso Nzima came home in 1:03:22 to win a tight contest from his fellow club members David Manja ( 1:03:25 ) and defending champion , Philani Buthelezi ( 1:04:38 ), with Kabelo Melamu making it a record top four for Murray & Roberts by finishing next in 1:06:29 . This complete dominance of the half marathon is a record at the Peninsula .
“ It was tough from the word go at the Bergvliet School as we battled a head wind . The plan was to run sub-three-minute kays , but the wind was just enough to push us out about five seconds per kay ,” said the diminutive and always smiling Nzima . “ Whatever the case was , this is good preparation for a qualifying marathon for either the World Athletic Champs in Oregon in July or the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August .”
Charné Bosman
In the women ’ s half marathon , former winner Nolene Conrad took third in 1:17:50 , while 2016 Comrades champion Charné Bosman had an “ in control , solid training run ” in fourth place , crossing the lie in 1:22:25 , which also gave her the over-40 win by a massive 12 minutes !
Nolene Conrad
20 ISSUE 150 | www . modernathlete . co . za