KZN based athletes were amongst the leading athletes in the CATHSETTA sponsored Comrades Marathon Prize giving held in the aftermath of the 86th race on Monday morning.
Although Zimbabwean, Stephen Muzhingi, is based with Durban’s Bluff Meats Forumula One club and walked away from the awards ceremony with R250,000 winners prize, the gold medal, and the winners trophy. In addition, after only seven outings on the infamous ultra, he was presented with his green number in perpetuity for three wins, becoming only the eighth runner to achieve this honour. In addition the 2011 race earned his number a second time for having earned five gold medals. Race number 55925 will take special place in the history of the race as only the fifth runner to win three consecutive races.
Mncedisi Mkhize from the Mr Price Club won tenth position, and earned the KZN Premiers award with R15000 for being the first KZN athlete to finish. He finished behind ninth-placed Brian Zondi, who ironically had earned the same award when he finished second in 2006, but has now relocated to Soweto where he runs for the Toyota club.
Kerry Koen was the first of the provinces ladies, which she added to her ninth place gold medal and provided the foundation for Nedbank to place second in the team awards in 32 hours 41 minutes 49 seconds. Koen along with Fikile Mbuthuma, Hleziphi Ncayiyana, and Pelsealina Lepheana were just under three hours behind the Bonita’s Central Gauteng quartet led home by fifth placed and First South African, Farwa Mentoor.
The Irene club from Gauteng North was third in 33:36:51.
The local Mr Price club also earned second place in the men’s open team, behind Toyota’s Central Gauteng combination who led by gold medalists Gift Kelehe and Brian Zondi, completed the course in a total of 23 hours 49 minutes 21 seconds. Mncedisi Mkhize, Bongmusa Mthembu Clement Nkosi and Eric Ngubane were only 19 minutes short of the gold in a tight competition that saw Bonitas Central Gauteng close the podium eleven minutes later.
Shaun Meiklejohn, the 1995 winner, returned to the podium as part of Nedbanks KZN over 40 team that placed second behind the clubs Eastern cape quartet. Meiklejohn who finished 88th overall took 6:39:13 for the course and along with Petros Sosibo, Sibusiso Ntuli and Michael Malunga were 38 minutes ahead of third place Toyota Central Gauteng.
Another former winner, Frances van Blerk, was part of the ladies winning team, joining Lelanie van Zyl, Magda Weideman and Marissa Potgieter in the Nedbank Gauteng North over 40 team. The 1987 winner just failed to earn a Bill Rowan medal with a 9:03:08 finish.
Two local runners made it into the age group awards. Richard Dlamini of the Nedbank was third in the 40-49 category in 6:08:49, while Boxer club’s Eloi de Olivera added another medal to his tally finishing second behind multiple winner Vladimir Kotov in 6:39:25.
Kotov, aged 53, mirrored his age finishing in 53rd position in six hours 24 minutes 24 seconds.
Comrades Marathon – Prize Giving Awards
Age – 40-49
Men
1 Elias Mubane Bidvest GN 6:00:50
2 Butki Jantjies Mr Price EC 6:05:55
3 Richard Dlamini – Nedbank KZN 6:08:49
1 Kami Semick Nedbank international – 6:46:29
2 Lucy Hardiman Australia 7:28:01
3 Lelanie van Zyl- Nedbank GN – 7:43:09
Age 50-59
Men:
1 Vladimir Kotov Century City 6:24:24 53rd
2 Eloi de Oliveira Boxer 6:39:25
3 Stuart Mc Coll Turn2God 6:46:34
ladies
1 Sue Harrisberg RAC 8:06:29
2 Valerie Watson – NB CG 8:36:02
3 Juliette Savini Durbanville 8:36;25
Age 60-69
Men
1 Bernd Juckel Germany 7:23:10
2 Keith Mckay Australia 8:08:59
3 Freddy Kashiri Harare AC 8:15:56
Ladies
1 Elaine Greenblatt – Rocky Road Runners 9:33:02
2 Penny Visser – Breakthrough 9:42:38
3 Veronica van Niekerk
Hot Spots
Bonita’s Cowies Hill R8000
Samuel Pazanga -Bluff Meats Formula One
Olesya Nurgalieva – Mr price International
Road Accident Fund Drummond R12000
Point Chaza – Bluff Meats Formula One
Elena Nurgalieva – Mr Price International
Bonitas Camperdown R16000
Fanie Matshipa Samancor EP
Olesya Nurgalieva – Mr price International
First KZN
Male: Mncedisi Mkhize Mr Price
Female – Kerry Koen Nedbank KZN
First South African
Men: Fanie Matshipa Samancor EP
Female: Farwa Mentoor Bonitas CG
Teams men
1 Toyota Centre Gauteng – Brian Zondi Gift Kelehe, Harmans Mokgadi, Frans Chauke. 23:49:21
2 Mr Price KZN – Eric Ngubane, Mncedisi Mkhize, , Bongmusa Mthembu, Clement Nkosi 24:08:29
3 Bonita’s CG – Simon Peu, Mkhozeni Basi, Aaron Gabonewe, Jabulani Nhlapo 24:19:04
Over 40
1 Nedbank EC – Christopher Mabengeza, Riaan Kock, Stephen Luvuyo, John Rafani 26:32:49
2 Nedbank KZN – Petros Sosibo, Shaun Meiklejohn, Sibusiso Ntuli, Michael Malunga27:27:25
3 Toyota CG Trevor Toerien, Kuben Setumu, Monope Mphahlele, Jimmy Gxiva 28:05:40
Teams ladies
1 Bonitas CG Farwa Mentoor Joyce Makwarela, Nocwane Morake, Pauline Njeya 29:44:14
2 Nedbank KZN – Kerry Koen, Fikile Mbuthuma, Hleziphi Ncayiyana, Pelsealina Lepheana 32:41:49
3 Irene – Anelle Voster, Christelle van der Merwe, Nadine Breytenbach, Joy-ann Nicholl 33:36:51
Over 40
1 Nedbank GN – Lelanie van Zyl, Frances van Blerk, Magda Weideman, Marissa Potgieter – 33:42:50
2 RAC – Sue Heideberg, Heather Phipson, Kerri Kleb, Lianne Rey 33:49:25
3 Boksberg AC Reinette Bosman, Shelley van der Spuy, Johanna van Wyk, Melony Liebenberg 36:03:15
Top 10 Men Finishers
1 Stephen Muzinghi (Formula 1 Bluff Meats/ Zimbabwe) 5:32:45
2 Fanie Matshipa (Samancor/ EP) 5:34:29
3 Claude Moshiywa (Nedbank/ GN) 5:42:05
4 Jonas Buud (Nedbank. Sweden) 5:42:44
5 Gift Kelehe (Toyota/ CG) 5:43:59
6 Chasara Masiyatsva (Nedbank/ GN/ Zimbabwe) 5:44:33
7 Ludwick Mamabolo (Mr Price/ CG) 5:50:17
8 Charles Tjiane (Mr Price/ CG) 5:50:46
9 Brian Zondi (Toyota/ CG formerly KZN) 5:51:08
10 Mncedisi Mkhize (Mr Price/ KZN) 5:51:17
Top 10 Women Finishers
1 Elena Nurgalieva (Mr Price/ Russia) 6:24:11
2 Olesya Nurgalieva (Mr Price/ Russia) 6:24:35
3 Kami Semick (Nedbank/ USA) 6:26:24
4 Ellie Greenwood (Nedbank/ UK) 6:32:46
5 Farwa Mentoor (Bonitas/ CG) 6:35:49
6 Irina Vishnevskaya (Nedbank/ Russia) 6:42:08
7 Lizzy Hawker (Nedbank/ USA) 6:48:28
8 Adinda Kruger (Nedbank/ GN) 6:49:01
9 Kerry Koen (Nedbank/ CG) 6:56:20
10 Riana van Niekerk (Mr Price/ CG) 6:56:38