WIT 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 last Saturday in Gqeberha.
This was the first elite road race in South Africa since the COVID pandemic literally shut down the sport in March 2020.
The race brought in some classy athletes in both the men’s and women’s races, with Felix Kibitok the fastest in the field 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, Mbuleli Mathanga had the race of his life to finish third in 1:01.25 – taking 6 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 for two wins on South African soil when she won the ladies race going away in a blistering 1:07.32.
Kipkoech broke the tape in 1:07.32, her third best time ever for the 21km distance. In the battle for the national title, Glenrose Xaba repeated her success from 2019 crossing the line as 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.
