ELITES
Marathon , running 2:26.30 while on his debut at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon in 2022 he was a long-time leader until being passed at 50km and eventually finishing 6th . He has already notched up impressive wins at the Dischem and Pirates Half Marathons this year . Both are tough courses which are the perfect preparation for the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon .
A second and third at the 2023 and 2022 Soweto Marathon show that Ethiopia ’ s Daba Ifa Debele and the 2023 6th place finisher in last year ’ s Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon , Degefa Yohannese Lafebo ( both with Nedbank ) cannot be written off .
The Hollywood Team is further strengthened by Tsépo Ramashamole ( 3rd 2022 Soweto Marathon / 1st 2024 JBS Marathon ) and Khoarahlane Joseph Seutloali ( 4th 2011 Cape Town Marathon 2 ; 11.04 ), both of whom will be staying close to their teammate , Mokoka . Both are debuting at the 2024 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon but given that their home ground is in the rarified air and hilly mountain kingdom of Lesotho , both will be prepared for the challenge .
Arthur Ford ’ s Bong ’ musa Mthembu is back for another crack at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon . Since 2017 , Mthembu has never been outside the top ten with his worst position in from then coming in 2017 where he finished 7th . He took line honours in 2019 , running an incredible 3:08.39 after having let the early record chasers including Sinteyehu Legesse burn themselves out . Mthembu started to pick up the pieces after the marathon mark . The 40-year-old is one of the most consistent ultra athletes in the country and will have prepared well for Saturday 13 April . A second and third individual medal at the 2016 and 2017 World 100km Championships are only part of his repertoire as is the 100km SA Record of 6:24.06 that stands behind his name /
Who can forget the flying Lebello Mopenyane ( Maxed Elite ) who led in 2023 until 30km before the pack swallowed him up . He went on to finish 5th ( 3:11.53 ). Earlier this year he took 6th at the NMB Runifed 50k .
Belachew was an unknown quantity in 2022 and one can expect that in 2024 there will be a few unknowns who will be lurking in the shadows . Jacob Malefo ( Entsika ) is one of those unknown runners , but with his 2:18.07 Marathon PB , he poses a very real threat for a top ten position .
All indications are there that the 2024 Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon will be one of the fiercest contested races yet , and while the record of Thomson Magawane has thus far been unapproachable ( the closest being Marco Mambo ’ s 3:05.39 from 2005 ), there is no doubt that with this calibre of field , fireworks can be expected , and who knows maybe the record will finally come under threat , after all records were made to be broken and this one has stood for almost four decades .
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