The Two Oceans 56km ultramarathon is a very different race in 2026 than it has been through the years from 1970 to 2025.
The Daily Dispatch has sifted through the hundreds of entries from the Border and former Transkei provinces, and it is difficult to earmark any gold-medal prospects, save maybe one man who again stands out.
That is Malixole Kalideni of Old Selbornians, who finished 11th in 2023 with a time of 3:15:36. Last year he was 18th in 3:20:27 and looks to be the local man to beat once more.
Going back in history, Border and former Transkei runners have often done exceptionally well, though it is difficult to compare now that the race uses a ballot system vs first arrival securing a place in the field.
Looking back
The first Two Oceans in 1970 saw just 15 men finish with times between 3:55:50, by winner Dirkie Steyn of Stellenbosch, and 5:51:00, by Defence Club’s Johan Swart.
In 1972 Don Hartley, then a new man to the sport, running for Celtic Harriers, won in a respectable 3:25:12. He remains one of the legends of the race, winning again in 1973 in 3:24:06.
In 1975 the first black man to run officially and win was Gabashane Vincent Rakabaele from Lesotho. He won in 3:18:05, just six seconds ahead of Alan Robb. Rakabaele sadly passed away a few years ago, while Robb, now in his 70s, continues to run competitively, including in the Border region — a region that would produce its first gold medallist when Gordon Shaw, running for Buffalo Road Runners, finished fifth, 1min 30sec ahead of Robb.
In 1978 John Donald, who would later move up from Cape Town and run for Border, finished eighth behind Robb, who was fourth. Donald was second to Rakabaele a year later.
In 1980 Brian Mather, who would also move up this way later in life, was seventh, while Claire Taylor from Johannesburg, who had run the first sub-three marathon for a woman at an interprovincial organised by the then Border Marathon Runners Association, was the second woman, and Jenny Saunders, still running and from Eastern Province, finished ninth.
Brother to John, Stephen Donald finished fifth in 1981. The brothers Donald were second and seventh in 1982.
In 1983 the first woman to break the magical four-hour mark was Beverley Malan from the University of Port Elizabeth in 3:57:32.
In 1984 John Donald, now running for Oxford Striders, was fifth, and Rodwell Sims of the same club was tenth.
One year later Donald was joined by his brother Stephen at the club, and they finished fourth and ninth.
Alfred Mangesi from Mthatha was ninth in 1987 and again in 1988, adding credence to the running ability and traditions in what would become the Eastern Cape province.
Efese Peter, another local man, then running for Defence, was seventh in 1989, ahead of previous winner Ephraim Sibisi. Peter still runs, though now for Equities Born2Run, East London, in the 65+ category.
That same year, Jean Rayner, an Eastern Cape lass running for West Coast Striders, was the third woman home behind Frith van der Merwe and Helen Lucre, two Comrades winners. Rayner, a former SA Marathon champion, would also move to the Eastern Cape and team up with Oxford Striders.
In 1991 Peter was ninth, and Charlotte Noble, who spent a short stint in this neck of the woods, was 10th and would be so again a year later, just trading her blue and white Striders colours for the green and white of Celtic Harriers.
Meanwhile, former Queens College athlete Darren de Reuck, running for Durban’s Stella, finished fourth.
Eastern Cape stars in more recent years
In the years that have followed, other Eastern Cape runners who became prominent included:
- Mthatha’s Zithulele Sinqe, the winner in 1997 and second a year later;
- Lizanne Holmes, third in ’97; and
- Celeste Swart, who along with Holmes finished in the top 10 in 2000.
The latter runner was top 10 one more time a year later still.
Mluleki Nobanda from Mthatha won the race in 2003, was second in 2004 and fourth in 2008, while another local, Melikaya Sithuba, finished ninth one year on, at a time when the international runners had all but taken over.
An example of the above point is that in 2017 Stephanie Smith of Easy Equities Born2Run, East London, won gold by finishing ninth, sandwiched between Thabita Tsatsa of Zimbabwe and Sarah Bard of the USA.
In the same race, Cape Town folk claimed their first winner in 44 years. The thing is, though, that Lungile Gongqa hails from the former Transkei.
With that history, Border and other Eastern Cape runners surely have everything to run for on Saturday.
Daily Dispatch
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