From left, the top-3 at the Nedbank Half Marathon: runner-up Juwawo Wirimai (Zimbabwe), winner Hendrick Ramaala (South Africa), and Elmore Sibanda (Zimbabwe) (© Mark Ouma)
Tshwane, South AfricaSouth Africans Hendrick Ramaala and Sharon Tavengwa each dethroned defending champions at the at the Nedbank Half Marathon in the South African capital Tshwane on Saturday, both setting course records in the process.
After the festive season break athletes used the event to gauge their fitness. Their attention focused on the Nedbank South African Marathon Championships in three weeks time. The race in eThekwini (formerly Durban) is a qualifier for the World Championships in Berlin Germany next August.
Ramaala content with London Marathon build-up - men’s race
From the start’s gun the seeded athletes took charge of the proceeding with splits of just over three minutes per kilometre. Zimbabwean defending champion Wirimai Juwawo, South Africans George Mofokeng, Norman Dlomo, Pakiso Pedi, Ramaala and Zimbabwean new find Elmore Sibanda took turns leading.
They went through 5km in 15:10 and 10km in 30:15. Sensing that danger of lagging behind, Lesotho’s former Soweto Marathon Champion Tsotang Maine laboured to join the lead group half way through the race. Sibanda established the pace passing the 15km mark in 45:32. The lead group was now down to the quartet of Sibanda, Maine, Wirimai and Ramaala.
Ramaala made his move at 19km. The surge split the group with Ramaala holding on to win in 1:04:11. Besides avenging the loss to Juwawo last year, he improved on Juwawo’s course record by 24 seconds. Juwawo (1:04:23), was also inside the old mark. He held off Sibanda by a second.
“We owe our improved times to Sibanda,” Ramaala admits. “He showed character particularly in the second half of the race when we faced hills in rising temperatures. I support athletes from neighbouring countries competing in South Africa. They give us good competition.”
He went on: “We in South Africa shouldn’t be thinking about beating the Ethiopians and Kenyans until we can prove ourselves here in Southern Africa. Otherwise my build up to the London Marathon is going on well.”
Cautious run pays dividends for Tavengwa - women's race
The women race reflected to trend in contest albeit less dramatically. Defending champion Mamorolla Tjoka (Lesotho) made her initial move at 10km. South African Rene Kalmer, Zimbabweans Tabitha Tsatsa, Samukeliso Moyo and Tavengwa responded, positioning themselves right behind her.
Tjoka again surged at 12km taking Tavengwa with her. Tavengwa held back until the last kilometre when she outpaced the defending champion in the final sprint for the finish line. Tavengwa improved the course record by 55 seconds with a winning time of 1:15:54. Tjoka (1:16:03) was also inside her previous course record of 1:16:49.
“This race was fine until the hilly section from 15km,” said Tavengwa. “Since Mamorolla (Tjoka) has dominated most of the series last year, I was cautious not to make an early break.”
She attributes her success to training at the Lornah Kiplagat High Altitude Training Camp (for women) in Iten Western Kenya. “I have learnt many training and competition tips there,” Tavengwa admits.
Mark Ouma for the IAAF
