CAPE TOWN – Just a few months short of his 41st birthday, Khayeltisha running pastor, Lindikhaya “Leeds” Mthangayi, raced to victory in the Peninsula Marathon in Cape Town on Sunday, retaining his hold on the trophy, while 2018 Comrades winner, Ann Ashworth, enjoyed a dream run in preparation for another attempt at a Comrades victory.
On a “miracle day” when the usual summer south-easter turned around and blew from the north, many personal best times were established and the respective winning times by Mthangayi and Ashworth of 2 hrs 18 min 02 sec and 2 hrs 43 min 00 sec were the fastest in years.
The race provided a kaleidoscope of colour, with thousands of runners of all shapes and sizes catching the low morning sun in the final quarter along the False Bay seafront between Muizenberg and Simon’s Town.
A delighted Mthangayi raced to his best-ever marathon, eclipsing by just 4 seconds his effort at last year’s Cape Town Marathon where he set a provincial masters 40 years record, which will still stand due to the Peninsula course being listed as an “aided” route for statistical purposes.
Mthangayi’s winning time was the fastest since Mthandazo Qhina’s 2:17:11 in 2012 and the third fastest since Namibian Luketz Swartbooi’s 2:16:12 win in 2006, while only Charne Rademeyer (2:42:56 in 2003) has run the Peninsula faster than Ashworth since Monica Drogemoller’s course record of 2:37:19, set thirty years ago.
A frequent visitor to the Peninsula Marathon Rademeyer, now running as Charne Bosman, repeated last year’s second position with a strong 2:48:27 to leave her five minutes adrift of Ashworth at the finish.
Mthangayi, who came out on top after a race-long duel with training partner, Ben Matiso, ensured the winners’ trophy remained in the Cape and, with the race doubling as the WP Marathon Championship, he also earned the provincial gold medal.
Mthangayi bided his time in the pre-dawn first quarter of the race, content to allow Matiso to set the early pace up front. Mthangayi drew level after 12km, with the pair matching each other stride for stride for the next 20 km.
Mthangayi made his move as the runners climbed a small hill out of Fish Hoek. “I could sense he was struggling with the wind now coming from the side, so I surged ahead and a gap opened up,” explained Mthangayi, who became the oldest winner of the Peninsula. “I felt strong in the final quarter and my sub-2:20 marathon time gives me confidence of a Two Oceans gold medal this year.”
It proved a great day for the Ashworths, with husband David racing home to a personal best of 2:29:26 for 6th place – just over 13 minutes ahead of his wife, Ann, who was delighted with her run. “Absolutely no problems this year,” the running advocate enthused after racing to the second-fastest marathon of her life after her 2:37 run in Valencia, Spain last year.
“I was surprised I felt so good as I’ve had an impossible work week, being involved in a high-profile corporate trial in Johannesburg and being seriously short of both sleep and training kilometres.”
Ashworth has two significant ultra-marathon goals in what she describes as “my year of redemption” – Comrades Marathon and the World 100 km Championships – in Holland in September. But Ashworth will be running for Great Britain, not in her country of residence. “I have a British passport and have registered with a UK club. Unfortunately, there is no way ASA will ever select me for South Africa after our legal disputes.
“We are going to court soon and I’m very confident we will win. Someone has to stand up to ASA and their on-going mal-adminstration.”
Bosman started slowly, but gradually moved through the field into second position, which she held to the finish. “I set out to run at around 4 min per kilometre as a training run for Comrades, and that’s just what I achieved, so I’m delighted with today’s performance.”
Up-country athletes dominated in the women’s competition, with the provincial title going to Murray and Roberts’ athlete, Danette Smith, who placed 6th overall.
Surprise package in the half marathon was the participation of top Polish ultra-distance athlete, Dominka Stelmach, who chased Cape Town athlete, Zintle Xiniwe, all the way to the finish to bag second position in 1:18:31 – just over a minute in arrears. On her 7th visit to South Africa and just months after her podium finish at Ultra-trail Cape Town 100km in December, the Two Oceans and Comrades gold medallist was in town with her family on a short holiday but plans to return to race Oceans and Comrades later this year.
Philani Buthelezi won the men’s half marathon title, beating fellow-Gauteng athlete, Benedict Moeng in a fast 1:03:38, with SWD athlete, Lloyd Bosman third.
Results
Peninsula Marathon, Green Point to Simon’s Town 42km
Men:
1 Lindikhaya Mthangayi (Ned WP) 2:19:02 (WP Champion); 2 Ben Matiso (M&R WP) 2:20:33; 3 Sithembiso Mqhele (M&R) 2:22:07; 4 Sithembile Swarts (Ned WP) 2:27:49; 5 Thulane Magagula (M&R CGA) 2:27:53; 6 David Ashworth (Massmart CGA) 2:29:26; 7 Jimmy Bonjesi (Itheko) 2:34:01; 8 Reuben Mhashu (Hout Bay) 2:34:16; 9 Siyabonga Sakwe (Ned WP) 2:34:37; 10 Sityhilo Diko (Ned WP) 2:38:05
Masters: +40 yrs:
1 Mthangayi; 2 Magagula; 3 Bonjesi; +50 yrs:
1 Andrew Cooper (Ned WP) 2:50:41; 2 Tholang Moloi (SANDF WP) 3:06:03; 3 Derrick Msibi (D’ville) 3:08:56; +60 yrs:
1 Julian Paul (SANDF) 3:19:00; 2 Henry Cieverts (Top Form) 3:19:41; 3 Desmore Oppel (d’ville) 3:23:45; +70 yrs:
1 Hennie Wentzel (D’ville) 3:39:43; 2 Tony Abrahamson (For) 3:40:31; 3 Ivan Marais (D’ville) 4:24:45
Team:
1 Nedbank WP 9:58:31; 2 M&R WP 10:59:43
Women:
1 Ann Ashworth (Massmart CGA) 2:43:00; 2 Charne Bosman (M&R CGA) 2:48:27; 3 Yolande Maclean (M&R CGA) 2:49:00; 4 Janie Grundling (M&R KZN) 2:50:53; 5 Caroline Josten (M&R CGA) 2:53:39; 6 Danette Smith (M&R WP) 2:54:57 (WP Champion); 7 Megan Dempster (M&R CGA) 2:56:23; 8 Ulrica Stander (M&R WP) 2:58:32; 9 Salome Cooper (M&R CGA) 2:58:40; 10 Lee-Shay Willemse (Velocity) 3:06:03
Masters: +40 yrs:
1 Bosman; 2 Maclean; 3 Grundling; +50 yrs:
1 Lynne Davis (AAC) 3:42:12; 2 Jackie Misrole (Pine) 3:46:59; 3 Cailey Bredenkamp (Paarl) 3:51:51 ; +60 yrs:
1 Nancy Will (Pine) 3:56:47; 2 Karen Little (K-Way VOB) 4:12:09; 3 Pam Rasmussen (Yellowwood) 4:27:40;
Team:
1 M&R CGA 11:27:27; 2 K-Way VOB 13:35:06
Peninsula Half Marathon, Bergvliet to Simon’s Town 21 km
Men:
1 Philani Buthelezi (M&R AGN) 1:03:38; 2 Benedict Moeng (M&R CGA) 1:04:34; 3 Lloyd Bosman (Ned SWD) 1:05:25; 4 Raydon Balie (Eerste Riv) 1:05:47; 5 Mthobisi Baloyi (M&R CGA) 1:07:07
Masters: +40 yrs:
1 Mthandazo Qhina (Ned WP) 1:10:49; 2 Tsungai Mwanengeni (RCS Gugs) 1:11:40; 3 Vuyani Sixaso (AAC) 1:15:32; +50 yrs:
1 John September (Itheko) 1:19:10; 2 Elliot Mhlaba (Strand) 1:27:28; 3 Desmond Pietersen (SANDF) 1:28:20; +60 yrs:
1 Mark Wagenheim (AAC) 1:40:25; 2 James Wisbeach (K-Way VOB) 1:40:45; 3 Raymond Fuller (K-Way VOB) 1:47:00; +70 yrs:
1 Neville Frieslich (F Hoek) 1:54:08; 2 Schalk Hoon (Held Har) 1:56:38; 3 Jonathan Hamlyn (K-Way VOB) 2:03:50
Women:
1 Zintle Xiniwe (Boxer WP) 1:17:11; 2 Dominika Stelmach (Poland) 1:18:31; 3 Kelly Nel (Retail Langa) 1:22:21; 4 Alexa Townsend (Retail Langa) 1:22:35; 5 Christine Adriaanse (K-Way VOB) 1:23:09
Masters: +40 yrs:
1 Adriaanse; 2 Bulelwa Simae (Boxer WP) 1:27:51; 3 Tracy Forbes (K-Way VOB) 1:34:50; +50 yrs:
1 Joanna Thomas (K-Way VOB) 1:30:17; 2 Obertina Kanyongo (Ned WP) 1:33:25; 3 Ursula Frans (Boxer) 1:35:02; +60 yrs:
1 Olga Howard (Ned WP) 1:47:07; 2 Bev Charters (K-Way VOB) 1:53:27; 3 Sandra Eardley (K-Way VOB) 1:57:58; +70 yrs:
1 Maretha Herbert (Bell) 2:08:17; 2 Marlene James (Pine) 2:22:43; 3 Gail Mclellan (K-Way VOB) 2:51:15