Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 68, March 2015 | Page 47

Taming the CRANE

Race Report

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Johnson Crane Hire Marathon, Half Marathon,
10km & 5km, Central Gauteng, 25 January

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he 33rd edition of the ever-popular Johnson Crane Marathon gave around 13,000 athletes a warm
morning out in Benoni, but also a fairly flat course that has become a definite must-run for those looking
for good times. Amongst the elites, things were especially competitive, with Gauteng Striders’ Tshidisa
Bosiu winning the men’s 42km in 2:24:54, just four seconds ahead of Mr Price’s Charles Tjiane, while the
women’s title went to the in-form Yolande Maclean. She came home in 2:46:55, shattering the course
record of 2:50:13 set by Ethiopia’s Alemtsehay Haily in 2014. Nedbank’s Alemtsehay Kakissa and Charne
Bosman followed minutes later in 2:53:20 and 2:57:52 respectively. In the half marathon, Boxer’s Desmond
Mokgobu secured the win in 1:04:46, with Nedbank’s Irvette Van Zyl taking the women’s title in 1:14:48.

MODERN ATHLETE READERS ON TACKLING THE RACE…

Images: Shaun Naidoo

Janeane Potgieter: “Did the 21km and ran 15min better than last
year. 2:05. Field was enormous! Incredible run to test your strength.
Love the roses and diary at the end!”
Yule Van Bresies @YRVB247: “Ran my 3rd race this year. My
best time 4 hrs 37 min. Love the Johnson Crane 42km!”
Jacques Lombard: “Always a great atmosphere and race to do in
Jo’burg. Tests your legs a little bit in the second half.”
@theAngryKenyan: “It was a great run! Start was too congested/
slow – seeding needs to be put in place for races like this!”
Nandi Petha: “It was quite flat, which was nice for January, but the
start was huge! I’d come back next time for a PB now knowing what
to expect.”

ROAR of the Lion
Race Report

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Lion of Africa Half Marathon & 10km, Cape Town, Western Province, 31 January

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Images: Luigi Bennett

rilliant weather greeted a large field of 1587 runners in the half marathon and a
further 1187 in the 10km at this year’s Lion of Africa event, and the ideal conditions
and flattish route saw five list leaders (best times for the year in SA thus far) across
various age categories in both distances, including Lena Lötter clocking 35:32 to win the
women’s 10km.
The men’s half marathon
title went to Nkosinathi
Sotyantya (Itheko) in
1:09:24, while Candyce
Hall (Carbineers) added
yet another win to her
collection in 1:28:10 as
she won the women’s race
by a convincing margin of
nearly seven minutes. The
men’s 10km title was taken
by Virgina Ngudlumana
(Itheko) in 30:55, just
three seconds ahead of his
clubmate Duane Fortuin.

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