SA men make strides
THE 2012 Comrades Marathon runners up ensured their bridesmaids's tags were shed in style with superb finishes in Durban yesterday.
Bongmusa Mthembu gave KwaZulu-Natal a reason to celebrate, becoming the first runner born in the province to win the Comrades Marathon since 1995, and also becoming the youngest winner in nine years.
But the biggest shock was that of Elena Nurgalieva, who was unable to match Bruce Fordyce's record of nine Comrades Marathon titles, beaten to the post by impressive British runner Eleanor Greenwood, who also won her maiden title. It meant the Nedbank Athletic Club captured six of the 20 gold medals across the genders, along with the first places.
Her time of six hours, 18 minutes and 15 secondswas slower than her 2012 second place time of 6:08.24, but she paced herself well after letting the Nurgalievas twins, Elena and Olesya, dictate much of the running.
At the halfway mark, she was four minutes behind with them running 3.03.09, but never let them out of her sight. It was their fast start that killed them at the end as Olesya started walking after Fields Hill.
Greenwood seized her opportunity, overtaking Elena after the toll gate bridge and powering through the Durban CBD in a surge that left the defending champion stunned.
The slim but strong-striding Greenwood made short work of 45th cutting, which helped her accelerate through the CBD, breaking the Nurgalieva hegemony, which stretches back to 2003 when Elena won her first of eight titles.
The women's section did not have a lot of South African flavour, with Caroline Wostmann coming in sixth, followed by the evergreen Zola Budd Pieterse. Martinique Potgieter and Julanie Basson wrapped up the top 10.
Mthembu's time of 5:28.34 was not particularly fast, but on a punishing down run it was the mark of well-timed tactical run from the Nedbank team, which also saw the boisterous defending champion Ludwick Mamabolo finishing second in a time of 5:33.14. He may not have won, but it marked a succinct dominance by South Africanrunners, sealing the top three places and six of the top 10 spots.
Gift Kelehe could not reprise his brother Andrew's 2001 win but had a solid run in which he made the most of Pinetown's unforgiving descents in 5:34.39.
In a brave performance, three-time winner Stephen Muzhingi finished fourth in a time of 5:35.18.
The win, Mthembu's third gold medal, also marked his inexorable ascent to the throne, having finished third in 2010 and second in 2012.
Mthembu never looked like he would be part of the top 10 until the halfway mark.
He overtook the fifth placed Rufus Photo at the bottom of Cowies after the Maxed Elite athlete inexplicably went all guns blazing on the Fields' Hill descent.
After a short tactical battle, the Midlands-born athlete took subtle control and when he conquered 45th Cutting, the last of the ascents, there was no catching him.
Interestingly, none of those in the top 10 at the halfway mark were in the top 10 at the end of the race.
Seventh placed Sweden's Jonas Buud was the only European runner in the top 10, while Prodigal Khumalo was the second Zimbabwean after Muzhingi, with Latudi Makofane wrapping up male gold medallists. - Khanyiso Tshwaku
