Another race, another enlarged field, this time for the Border’s ultramarathon over 50km and organised by Real Gijimas in and around Mdantsane.
Mdantsane runner Luthando Hejana, in the green colours of Originals Mambas, surprised many of the pundits.
Not because he was in the top end of the field, but because after a number of close finishes in recent years, he changed tactics and only took the lead just after the halfway mark and then went on to lead the field into the finish.
Second was pre-race favourite and 2025 winner Gift Chigomorarwa of Oxford Striders, formerly Nedbank.
The runner-up went through 15+ kilometres in 55:58, with the winner 29 seconds adrift.
At the halfway point, it was a mere four seconds, and by the standard marathon mark, the new leader had already opened a gap of three minutes, 25 seconds.
The result was a win for Hejana in 3:00:32 with Chigomararwa second in 3:03:20, having closed the gap ever so slightly.
The 2025 winning time was 3:05:56 so an all-round improvement, though it must be noted that this was an out-and-back course as opposed to point-to-point, which might have been expected to have been quicker with the resultant drop in altitude.
Third was another runner who challenged last year’s Thulani Sidziya of Zwelonke AC, who also won the 40-49 year age category in 3:20:34, while the first 50-59-year-old, Siyabulela Madlavana, was fourth in 3:21:20.
Meanwhile, Mzoli Mpalala of Hollywood AC, was the winner of the 60+ category in 4:02:01.
A surprising number of ultramarathon stalwarts in the women’s category were not running this year, but it is a current trait in local women’s running that they are being extremely cagey about their 2026 plans.
With some of Border’s top ultramarathon runners not chasing SA’s top two ultramarathon scalps either in 2026, it is surprising that those who follow proceedings are not taking advantage of the good prize money on offer in the 50km.
Dineo Manamela led the field virtually from the gun to the end, recording a time of 3:55:09, having gone through the standard marathon in a remarkably quick 3:15:04.
She was also the first veteran 40-49 category runner to finish, albeit at a more pedestrian pace. The winning time in 2025 was 4:36:00.
In second place was Ntomboncedo Masongo, who was some 24 minutes, 43 seconds behind the leader at the marathon mark and slowed to a 47:15 for the last 7.8km. And a finish in 4:27:03.
Siviwe Nomaphelana of Chillie Runners, who showed much promise when first bursting onto the scene four to five years ago but then went through a long spell battling injury, finished third in 4:27:58 after going through the standard marathon in 3:40:44.
The first masters 50+ runner was a stalwart of the age category, Linda Goduka of Omac, in 5:00:52.
The total number of race entries on the day was 594 —made up of 435 in the 50km, 111 in the 4km and 48 in the 1.6km, or one mile event.
That is opposed to 351, 32 and 27 in 2025.
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