WITH a blistering turn of pace in the final 500m, Precious Mashele dethroned reigning champion, Stephen Mokoka, to win his first national title in the half marathon, after crossing the line in 1:01.17 at the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon, incorporating the SA Half Marathon Championships, on Saturday, May 1 in Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).
The event was the first elite road race in South Africa since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down the sport in March 2020.
After a slow start, with the about 20 athletes going through 10km in 29:50, defending champion, Mokoka threw in a blistering surge after the 15km mark, taking with him Mashele, new kid on the block Mbuleli Mathanga and Kenya’s Felix Kibitok, the fastest man in the field.
In typical Mokoka fashion, the champion from 2019 surged through those final 6km, gradually wearing down the rest of the field. With just under 2km to go he through what seemed to be the final surge and opened almost 20m on Mashele and Mathanga.
You would not have bet on him losing from there. But showing true grit, maturity and form, Mashele clawed his way back and when he passed Mokoka with 500m to go, the defending champion had no answer.
The race brought in some classy athletes in both the men’s and women’s races, with Kibitok having the fastest personal best, with his 59:08 half marathon time from 2019.
While a fast race was expected, the initial cat-and-mouse tactics put paid to that expectation. The second half was certainly a much faster affair as Mokoka tried to run the sting out of the field. Up and coming KZNA athlete, Mathanga, had the race of his life to finish third in 1:01.25 – taking six seconds off his personal best.
Brilliant run by Brillian Kipkoech
In only her second visit to South Africa, the first being in May 2019, Kenya’s Brillian Kipkoech made it two wins out of two on South African soil, when she won the ladies’ race in a blistering 1:07.32. The Kenyan was favourite to win, along with Namibia’s Helalia Johannes. Kipkoech entered the race with a best time of 66:56 and Johannes with a best of 68:10. And the duo livid up to their billing, setting a furious pace from the gun.
Very soon though the pace became too hot even for Johannes and she wilted under the relentless pressure of Kipkoech. Only the diminutive Ethiopian, Alemaddis Eyayu Sisay, was able to stay with the smooth running Kenyan. But even she had to give way to Kipkoech, with 4km to go.
Kipkoech broke the tape in 1:07.32, her third best time ever for the 21km distance. Sisay finished some 32 seconds later in 68:04 – her best ever time for the half marathon.
In the battle for the national title, Glenrose Xaba repeated her success from 2019, crossing the line as the first South African, close to her best of 1:09.26 with 1:09.30.
Both Mashele and Kipkoech pocketed a whopping R112 500 for their efforts and earned valuable World Label points as the NMB Half Marathon is a World Athletics Label Race. “I am extremely grateful to my coach, Hendrick Ramaala, who helped us survive during the pandemic in buying us food and for the work he has put into us in preparing for the race,” said a smiling Mashele after the race.
“I am excited for the win; this is my first National Half Marathon title.”
For the first time, the race was broadcast live on both the national broadcaster’s open view channel of SABC Sport and on the Eastern Province Athletics Facebook page.
Results
Men
1. Precious Mashele 1:01.17 (SA champion)
2. Stephen Mokoka 1:01:25
3. Mbuleli Mathanga 1:01.25
4. Felix Kibitok 1:01.27
5. Adam Lipshitz 1:01.30
Women
1. Brillian Kipkoech 1:07.32
2. Alemaddis Eyayu Sisay 1:08.03.
3. Tadu Nare 1:09.08
4. Helalia Johannes 1:09.25
5. Glenrose Xaba 1:09.29 (SA champion)
– Issued on behalf of LOC EPA
