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ELITE RACE everybody has a family member or a friend that competes in either the 21km or the 56km. So, when I ran it for the first time, I was excited because I knew there would be a lot of people competing – and it’ s always fun when a lot of people compete.”
George Kusche
Stephen Mokoka
Images: Two Oceans Marathon, Action Photo SA
Kusche in Eye-catching Form
While his form over the past twelve months suggests he should line up as one of the pre-race favourites, George Kusche remains measured and focused ahead of the 2026 Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon. The Nedbank Running Club star claimed fourth position( 2:20:48) at the African Bank Soweto Marathon in November, set a new course record( 1:05:32) as he won the hilly Biogen Half Marathon in Johannesburg in January, and then smashed his marathon personal best by more than five minutes for a dominant 2:15:02 victory at the Balwin Run Series Peninsula Marathon in February.“ I’ ve been slowly getting better. I haven’ t changed anything in my training, I’ ve just been doing what I’ ve been doing – and it’ s compounding – so I’ ve been feeling stronger,” says the understated Kusche.
The 27-year-old first emerged as a prolific high school middle-distance athlete in Pretoria, which saw him recruited by Northern Arizona University. While competing on the highly competitive US College NCAA Circuit, he posted a sub-4- minute mile, and he says,“ I’ m very grateful for my experience in the US. I enjoyed it a lot, and had some good experiences with some great coaches and athletes. I’ m coaching myself now, so it certainly helps to look back at the training I did and try and recreate those circumstances.”
Upon returning to SA, Kusche initially took a break from running in 2023, then started racing again in 2024 – this time on the road, where he enjoyed almost immediate success. Making his Two Oceans Half Marathon debut just seven days after running a career-best 28:56 for 10km, Kusche led until the halfway mark before being overtaken by eventual winner Thabang Mosiako. He finished runner-up in 1:05:31, narrowly edging Lesotho’ s Kamohelo Mofolo on the line, and describes his maiden Two Oceans experience as unlike any other.
“ Two Oceans is one of those races that everybody wants to run. It’ s a big race, and
Busisiwe Chamane
Chamane eyes Fourth Gold
With three consecutive top 10 finishes from three starts between 2023 and 2025, which have earned her three gold medals, Busisiwe Chamane will be determined to add to her impressive tally when she lines up in the Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon. And the Hollywood Athletics Club ace doesn’ t need to be asked twice to list what she loves most about her favourite half marathon.“ I think I love the atmosphere more than anything, and the environment is so amazing. I love everything about Two Oceans, especially the weather, because it’ s almost like Durban … but the humidity is lower in Cape Town,” she says.
In late March, she won the Balwin Run Series Dolphin Coast Half Marathon in a dominant 1:18:57, exactly 40 seconds faster than her fastest Two Oceans clocking, and she says,“ The race started well and I was running at my target race pace until about 15km, when I felt a slight strain on my hamstring, which forced me to slow down a little bit. At least I managed to push and win the race,” says the lanky athlete who works full time for the Ethekwini Municipality.
Considered in the context of the hot and humid Durban conditions in March, Chamane’ s victory suggests that she could improve on her best Two Oceans Half Marathon finish, which was third place last year. The 32-year-old is confident that the hamstring niggle is nothing to worry about, leaving her optimistic that she can secure a fourth consecutive Two Oceans gold medal.“ Yes, of course, a gold is there for the taking, so I’ m definitely going for a gold medal again. Anything more than that would be a bonus.”
Long-awaited Return for Mokoka
After two years of tackling the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, Stephen Mokoka will make a welcome return to the Half Marathon, which he won four times between 2009 and 2015, adding a third-place finish in 2019. The only athlete with more Two Oceans Half wins is Namibian Helalia Johannes, who took the women’ s title five times, and though he is now more focused on the marathon distance, Mokoka says he still intends racing for line honours in this year’ s Half.
“ I’ m excited to be back again. I mean, I podiumed in all of my appearances in this race, and hopefully I will podium again this year! Also, it’ ll be a few weeks before the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, so I’ ll be doing my last good strong tempo run in a race. If I can come out strong at Two Oceans, I believe that I’ ll be ready for the marathon in May,” he says.
In 2009, Mokoka won the Two Oceans Half on debut in 1:03:42, beating Zimbabwe’ s Wirimai Juwawo by eight seconds. He returned in 2013 and claimed a second win, this time clocking a slightly faster 1:03:35 to beat 2010 and 2011 winner, Lusapho April, by just two seconds. A third win followed in 2014, with Mokoka crossing the line in 1:04:16, and in 2015, he claimed his fourth overall( and third consecutive) win, powering home in 1:04:04 to beat Elroy Gelant by four seconds. Mokoka made one more appearance in the race in 2019, taking third position( and a fifth gold medal) in 1:03:36.
“ I actually didn’ t know much about the half marathon in 2009 – it was just my second year racing the distance, after focusing on the track – but I really enjoyed it. We ran the first 10 or 11 kays in the dark, so the best part was that we couldn’ t actually see how steep or long some of the hills were! I was trying to get a fifth win in 2019, but I finished third, which in my terms means I lost, and I said, no, I’ m never coming back here, because this thing is tough. But here I am again!
With increased prize money, live coverage and a route that caters for both speed on the flats and strength on the climbs, the top half marathon runners from all over SA will be lining up for a share of the prize purse this year!
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