Grahamstown runners went to Cape Town to take part in one of the country's best known marathons. Our locals achieved one silver (under four hours) and six Sainsbury medals (under five hours). Mzwanele Maphekula, from Run/Walk For Life, finished 17th overall in a superb time of 3 hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds.
Grahamstown runners went to Cape Town to take part in one of the country's best known marathons. Our locals achieved one silver (under four hours) and six Sainsbury medals (under five hours). Mzwanele Maphekula, from Run/Walk For Life, finished 17th overall in a superb time of 3 hours, 16 minutes and 16 seconds.
He was also the second runner from the province home, with fellow Eastern Province athlete George Ntshiliza winning the ultramarathon. Running under five hours for the Sainsbury medals were Carriot Galela, Jene Banfield, Lionel Blaauw, Rooi Rikhotso, Terri-Lynn Penney and Velisile Jela. Jene Banfield was the first Eastern Province woman runner home, while Terri-Lynn Penney was the third. Frith van der Merwe ran a great 1:35:13 in the half-marathon and then handed out the Blue numbers to runners finishing their 10th Two Oceans.
Out of all the Run/Walk For Life branches across the country, Mzwanele Maphekula and Jene Banfield had the fastest times by a male and female respectively in the ultra. In the half, Frith Van der Merwe had the fastest time overall, while Joubert Retief was third-fastest male. Paul Schaerer, of the Rhodes University Athletics Club, ran his first Two Oceans this year and felt that the training was worth it.
"The race was incredible. It got painful towards the end, but the race was amazing. And the view throughout was worthwhile," he said.
Melanie Bruce-Miller, who also runs for the Rhodes club, said it all came down to mental strength in the end.
"The last 10 kilometres are torture, so you have to suck it up for the last bit. My body was stuffed. Chapman's Peak's view, though, was incredible and the ice-cream they gave out was amazing," she said.
Two Oceans Ultra results from Grahamstown runners: Mzwanele Maphekula (Run/Walk For Life) 3:16:16 Simphiwe Tana (Nedbank Running Club) 3:50:22 Carriot Galela (Run/Walk For Life) 4:04:00 Andrew Lowndes (Rhodes) 4:19:48 Jene Banfield (Run/Walk For Life) 4:37:38 Winston Lionel Blaauw (Run/Walk For Life) 4:38:56 Rooi Rikhotso (Run/Walk For Life) 4:41:37 Sylvester Jeffries (Albany) 4:43:45 Terri-Lynn Penney (Run/Walk For Life) 4:45:15 Velisile Jela (Run/Walk For Life) 4:57:44 Xolani Ngcikhwe (Rhodes) 4:58:21 Stephen Penney (Run/Walk For Life) 5:16:19 Jeremiah Botha (Albany) 5:21:20 Silveret Malibongwe Mbelu (Run/Walk For Life) 5:28:13 Eric Mapara (Rhodes) 5:38:59 Curtis Sahd (Rhodes) 5:55:03 John Van Onselen (Run/Walk For Life) 5:57:23 Paul Schaerer (Rhodes) 6:44:44 Melanie Bruce-Miller (Rhodes) 6:44:45 Linda Ngxande (Run/Walk For Life) 7:05:17 Two Oceans half-marathon local results: Basie Bonaparte (Albany) 1:17:17 Warrick Smith (Rhodes) 1:19:03 Michael-John Cannon (Rhodes) 1:19:10 Revan Fillis (Albany)1:22:40 Daniel Hewson (Rhodes) 1:24:02 Sean Swanepoel (Rhodes) 1:30:42 Richard Alexander (Albany) 1:32:13 Natalie Ross (Rhodes) 1:32:37 Frith Van Der Merwe (Run/Walk For Life) 1:35:13 Daneil Feldmann (Rhodes) 1:35:25 Peter Sulter (Albany) 1:36:33 James Dillon (Rhodes) 1:41:00 Dylan Pons (Rhodes) 1:41:03 Charlotte Adie (Rhodes) 1:43:33 Megan Cunnama (Rhodes) 1:43:51 Jennifer Coppinger (Rhodes) 1:43:52 Joubert Retief (Run/Walk For Life) 1:44:25 Georgie Randle (Rhodes) 1:46:10 Christine Coppinger (Rhodes) 1:46:17 Alex Adie (Rhodes) 1:46:37 Nanine Steenkamp (Rhodes) 1:47:12 David Goble (Rhodes) 1:47:37 Danika Marquis (Run/Walk For Life) 1:54:09 Ian Macleod (Rhodes) 1:55:39 Charles Price-Smith ( No club) 1:57:59 David Smedley (Rhodes) 1:59:06 Sally Price-Smith (Run/Walk For Life) 2:01:15 Leanne Voerman (Rhodes) 2:04:42 Brian Bannatyne (Albany) 2:05:32 Ashleigh Connor (Rhodes) 2:06:26 Karen Meyer (Run/Walk For Life) 2:08:07 Colin Meyer (Run/Walk For Life) 2:08:08 Caroline Ross (Rhodes) 2:08:32 Peter Bosman (Rhodes) 2:11:00 Michael Davies (Rhodes) 2:11:12 Lieschen Joubert (Albany) 2:12:46 Andrew Smith (Rhodes) 2:14:16 Kerry Saywood (Rhodes) 2:21:07 Tracy Saywood (Rhodes) 2:21:07 Zelda Van Onselen (Run/Walk For Life) 2:21:57 Megan Schoeman (Rhodes) 2:22:54 Colin Price-Smith (Run/Walk For Life) 2:37:25 Amy Taylor (Run/Walk For Life) 2:45:59 Gwenda Thomas (Run/Walk For Life) 2:51:56
