THE MENS RACE

Stephen Muzhingi’s demolition of Leonid Shvetsov in 2009 prompted the question “Has the era of foreign domination ended?”

When the field of nearly 16 500 left the Pietermaritzburg City Hall, in perfect running weather at 5:30, by 11 o’clock the answer would be known.

Leading the field on its journey to Durban was the usual group of top standard marathon performers whose sole objective was the lure of the hotspot prizes on offer.

Behind them two groups, which contained all the main contenders, developed. Stephen Muzhingi was the pace-setter in the first group that included Peter Muthubi, Charles Tjiane and Lucas Nonyana. The following group had Vladimir Kotov as the driver. Hotspot chaser, Wellington Chidodo was timed through Drummond at 2h 37m 15s after which he soon faded to nowhere.

Tjiane, who had broken away from the main group, went through halfway with an advantage of eight minutes over the Muzhingi group. This was, perhaps, a wake-up call to those behind who probably realised that it was Tjiane who, in 2009, led all the way to Pinetown and was caught, as he tired, on the run-in to the finish, to eventually take third place. Maybe this was the year for him to last all the way.

Muzhingi, Claude Moshiywa, Bethuel Netshifhefhe and Fanie Matshipa set off in pursuit of the leader. Unlike last year, Tjiane unexpectedly faded and was walking as he neared Winston Park, but his lead was so great that the Muzhingi quartet finally reeled him in at Kloof.

Unknown to everyone, though, Ludwick Mamabolo and Bongmusa Mthembu, both lost in the main pack through halfway, were turning in a storming run over the final quarter of the race.

Moshiywa accelerated on the big drop down Field’s Hill where, firstly Netshifhefhe, and then Muzhingi drifted off the pace. The crowd at Kingsmead went into raptures on hearing that a South African was leading the race through Pinetown.

Moments later the raptures were silenced when the big screen at Kingsmead showed Moshiywa walking towards the foot of Cowies Hill. Muzhingi had recovered and went into the lead and stayed there, crossing the finish line more than six minutes before Mamabolo arrived, with Mtembu another two minutes adrift.

Returning to the question “Has the Russian strangle hold been broken?”

The first Russian home was Grigory Murzin in 21st place.

Apart from Muzhingi (Zimbabwe) and Noto (Lesotho, 9th) the remaining Gold medals fell into South African hands.

In positions 11 to 20, Prodigal Khumalo (Zimbabwe) finished 11th with South Africans filling out the rest.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE WOMENS RACE

While great joy flowed from the result of the Men’s Race, there was little joy for local supporters in the Women’s Race with visitors taking seven of the Gold medals; five of them – including the top three positions – going to Russia. Again it was Farwa Mentoor who led the local challenge; finishing fifth.

Mentoor was indisputably the top South African woman of the decade and, in all probability, the greatest ever. It is unfortunate that her peak – she earned nine Golds from nine starts – arrived during the wrong decade.

The race, as a spectacle was a disappointment, as it appeared that the Nurgalieva twins would, again, have things all their own way. They once again adopted their proven tactic of going to the front from there gun and staying there. At Camperdown, twenty-six kilometers into the race, they already held a four-minute lead over Marina Myshlyanova and that was how it remained the entire way into Durban. When they entered Kingsmead Stadium, the contrived result gave Elena a one-second victory over Olesya, the distance back to Myshlyanova had stretched to thirteen minutes.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE MENS RACE

Could Stephen Muzhingi become the first man to score a hat trick since Bruce Fordyce in 1983?

From the moment the gun sent the field away from the Durban City Hall, the pace was furious with the customary hotspot hunters to the fore. Wellington Chidodo and Samuel Pazanga were way out in front when they reached the first hotspot in Pinetown. Muzhingi was in the following group in which very few big names went with him. Fanie Matshipa and Butiki Jantjies were there, but the group was already five minutes behind the leading trio. The serious contenders, Bongmusa Mthembu, Fusi Nhlapo and Claude Moshiywa appeared to be playing a waiting game, hanging back at this early stage.

Pazanga left his companion and moved well clear as he accelerated up Field’s Hill. Also running very strongly, and moving ahead of the Muzhingi group was Point Chaza. He caught an exhausted Pazanga going up Botha’s Hill to lead through Drummond in a fast 2h 39m. Next through was Eltas Mabane in 2h 44m 34s with Muzhingi, looking comfortable, following in 2h 46m.

Inchanga is always the catalyst. Whoever comes over the top looking untroubled, is usually thereabouts when the dash for the line commences. When Muzhingi summited the climb, only Matshipa and Lesotho novice, Teboho Sello, where at his side. Chaza, meanwhile had further increased his lead. This was certainly the reason for the sudden injection of pace. Sello soon fell away when the chase commenced and, after more than 3h 30m on the clock, the flying duo hauled in Chaza along Harrison Flats.

Matshipa was moving more freely as they closed in on Pietermaritzburg and looked set to strike at any moment. But it was not to be. Despite his misleadingly uneconomical style, Muzhingi kicked on the climb up Polly Shortts. Matshipa could not respond. Muzhingi went away from him to score a deserved hat trick.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE WOMENS RACE

It was the Nurgalieva show again. And again they adopted their standard strategy; going to the front from the gun… and staying there… while the rest raced for the Bronze medal.

The only difference was that this year it would be a lot closer and they would, finally, have to run hard for their victory. They led through the checkpoint at Pinetown with a string of unknown visitors – Kami Semick, from the USA, and Lizzy Hawker and Eleanor Greenwood from England – not too far adrift. They climbed Field’s Hill with ease but passing through Kloof, at the top of the hill, Elena was bowled over by a runner from behind. Rising, with blood streaming from both knees as she did a few years before, she carried on and soon drew level with her sister.

They went through Drummond on record pace in 3h 04m, with Elena 2 strides ahead of Olesya. Hawker followed four minutes later. As it does so often, Inchanga plays a major role in the final standings and going up the hill, the first chinks in the Nurgalieva armour appeared. They were followed closely by Hawker, who was overtaken by Semick, before the summit arrived.

Despite the near record pace to halfway, and perhaps because of it, all prospects of a new record disappeared during the second half of the race. The twins hung on while Semick tried desperately to reduce the distance between them. The lead was, in the end, just too great.

Elena breasted the tape twenty-five seconds ahead of Olesya, while Semick failed by less than two minutes to annex the Silver Medal.

Once again, it was Farwa Mentoor to lead home the local hopes, finishing fifth. Like Gordon Baker in the Mens Race during the 60s and 70s, she is undoubtedly the best ever runner, unfortunatel, destined never to win the world’s greatest ultra.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE MENS RACE

It was expected to be a shoot-out from the moment the first shot was fired at 5:30 that morning. No prisoners were going to be taken; no mercy was anticipated from any of the protagonists. The slightest sign of weakness would be exploited and the vanquished left withering, forlornly on the roadside.

All the elements were in place for an expected classic scrap… Muzhingi vs Shvetsov.

Stephen Muzhingi from Zimbabwe; defending champion… with a hat trick of victories in the previous three years.

Leonid Shvetsov from Russia; back-to-back Up and Down Best Times, in 2007 and 2008, made him the fastest man ever in either direction.

The anticipation was palpable… hanging heavily on the air, it could be felt pressing down on your shoulders. In the distance, a cock was heard crowing… a gunshot echoed across the city… and a huge cheer erupted from the masses that waited patiently for the bloodbath that was imminent.

There were other major players waiting anxiously in the wings in the pre-dawn chill. If the two big guns misfired, they were sure to pounce. The heavy artillery, running alongside Muzhingi and Shvetsov in the early stages, carried names such as Ludwick Mamabolo, Claude Moshiywa, Gift Kelehe, Petros Sosibo, Fusi Nhlapo and Bongmusa Mthembu. That array of talent, as it drifted out of Pietermaritzburg, was capable of turning any expert predictions upside down.

Once out of the city, the lead group, which included all the main contenders, remained in close contact, despite swapping positions within itself, over the first half of the race. Climbing out of Drummond, Mamabolo strode to the front. A few minor challenges were mounted but were easily repulsed. Mthembu gradually worked his way past the Gold Medal contenders, moving into second position on the ascent of Cowie’s Hill. The Best Time for the Down Run was not in danger and Mamabolo, running a tactical, controlled pace, retained a 100-second lead over Mthembu while the rest of the chasers steadily dropped further behind.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE WOMENS RACE

The foreign juggernaut was expected to continue, with the East Europeans, in the form of the Russian contingent, leading the charge.

When the Gold Medals were, subsequently, allocated a Russian quartet had claimed four of the ten on offer.

The twin threat posed by the Nurgalieva sisters, however, was blunted when Olesya, who had shortly before given birth to a daughter, could not run. Knowledgeable opinion soon speculated that, without her twin sister at hand, Elena might not be the force that she was in recent years.

That theory was blown away almost from the moment the field set off for the coast. Elena went to front, and stayed there, and broke the tape at Kingsmead Stadium with her fastest time for the Down Run. Her 6h 07m 12s secured her 7th victory in the ten years since she ran, and won, as a novice in 2003.

She was, however, pushed to her limit by Eleanor Greenwood, of Great Britain. This was, no doubt, a contributory factor for Nurgalieva’s fast time and, despite a concerted push towards the death, Greenwood failed by little more than three hundred metres to reel in the flying winner.

Such was the pace of the two front-runners; the remaining chasers were never in contention. Perennial Gold Medalist, Marina Zhalybina – who collected her eleventh Gold – trailed in more than 22 minutes behind the runner-up.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE MENS RACE

The heat and wind combined to make running conditions the second most difficult in the 88-year history of the Comrades Marathon. Only in 1965, when the rain bucketed down for the entire day, were the contestants faced with a tougher challenge.

It has certainly been hotter in some years and the wind has blown more forcefully in others, but the combined effects, this year, suppressed anticipated performances at all levels throughout the field.

The major concern facing the echelon of top contenders, however, was not the weather. The real problem was that there were only ten Gold Medals on offer.

There were twelve or thirteen men who were all aspirant claimants to these few precious metal discs.

Justin Chitake, Charles Soza and William Chinyanga had established the lead through Pinetown. They were followed closely by Claude Moshiywa, Ludwick Mamabolo, Marko Mambo and Mike Fokoroni. Not too far adrift of this quartet was Moses Njodzi and David Gatebe. Approaching Hillcrest, it was clear that Chitake had over-extended himself and he surrendered the lead to Gatebe and Njodzi who seemed to be running at a speed that, in the conditions, was unwise. Gatebe submitted before halfway. Njodzi was timed through Drummond in a very fast 2h 40m 02s but he, too, capitulated to the Moshiywa group – which was, itself, also in a state of disintegration – while walking on the climb up Inchanga.

Going over the top, the lead group comprised Moshiywa, Fokoroni, Johannes Kekana and Rufus Photo but, at short intervals, on the roller-coaster section to Cato Ridge, Photo, and then Fokoroni, dropped off the pace, leaving Moshiywa and Kekana to contest the lead to Pietermaritzburg.

The big hills into the city were, however, the final arbiters. Sweden’s Jonas Buud and Lesotho’s Mpesela Ntlosoeu were, meantime storming through the remnants of the early pace-setters. Both hauled in Kekana on Polly Shortts and held on to take the Silver and Bronze Medallions. But Moshiywa was much too far out of reach.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE WOMENS RACE

It seemed as if there was no way of stopping it. The Russian steamroller steamed through again. The Nurgalieva twins were back… with a vengeance, despite there being other top performers in 2012 Runner-Up, Eleanor Greenwood, and regular Gold Medalist, Farwa Mentoor, in the line-up. Either was capable of causing an upset and taking line-honours.

The twins set out from the start, seemingly, to break the opposition. They were never in any kind of trouble and led from gun to tape.

Passing through halfway at Drummond, where they held a 9-minute advantage over South African novice, Charne Bosman, it appeared they were aiming at a new record, despite the uncompromising weather.

Over the second half, maybe because of the weather, they slowed considerably; subsequently recording their slowest-ever Comrades times. Fellow Russian, Irina Antropova, came through strongly, at the death, to finish third.

Elena Nurgalieva recorded a fourth successive win and Olesya was runner-up for the third time in the last four years. If it was not for the birth of her child during 2012, it might have been four in a row.

Bosman soldiered on but the distance, ultimately, defeated her and she also experienced the extreme disappointment of losing fourth position at the final moment; being overtaken in the home straight and finished fifth.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE MENS RACE

In 1979 and 1980 Bruce Fordyce finished 3^rd and 2^nd… and we know what happened after that.

In the build-up to race-day someone, or everyone, overlooked the two previous year’s results. Bongmusa Mthembu had ‘done a Fordyce’ in 2012 and 2013 and in the pre-race hype, his name was barely mentioned when ‘those in the know’ made their forecasts. The talk was all about Mike Fokoroni, Ludwick Mamabolo, Prodigal Khumalo and Marko Mambo.

In warm pleasant weather, all the early running was done by two rabbits who were never going to be around when the real race started. They were after the hotspot money and nothing more. They led the main group through halfway at Drummond by 6 minutes.

A massive group of thirty, which included all those who were destined to feature in the cut-and-thrust, two-and-a-half hours later, on the approach to Durban, passed through Drummond in 2h 42m. Within minutes, the rabbits were swallowed up.

Entering Hillcrest, Mambo made his break and his flowing, elegant style indicated that this might be his day. It wasn’t. His hamstring seized on the drop down Field’s Hill… and he never went any further. Rufus Photo went to the front as they exited the hill. He was followed through Pinetown by three-time winner, Stephen Muzhingi, Mamabolo, Gift Kelehe and Mthembu.

With Cowies Hill looming, Mthembu went past those around him and set his sights on Photo. A few strides into the last major climb of the day, Photo went backwards, leaving Mthembu alone out in front; a position from where he consolidated his supremacy and moved further out of reach with every step. Mamabolo and Kelehe moved into the Silver and Bronze Medal slots, but the flying Mthembu was gone; running alone into Kingsmead Stadium, putting gaps of five and six minutes between him and his two chasers.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE WOMENS RACE

Was it going to be another one-two for the Russians?

Everyone in the media felt that was the way it would likely pan out when the field closed in on Durban shortly after 12:30 on race-day, although 2012 runner-up, Eleanor Greenwood was given, at best, only a very outside chance.

It certainly appeared to be heading in that direction when the race got under. The Nurgalieva sisters went straight to the front and seemed bent on destroying the rest of the contenders who trailed forlornly in their wake.

They powered through halfway in 3h 3m having put more than four minutes between themselves and Greenwood and fifteen minutes ahead of Charne Bosman, the leading South African.

From that point, it merely became more depressing for the rest of the field as the Nurgalievas drew ever further ahead. So fast were they running, over the short, taxing trip to the crest of Botha’s Hill, the gap to Greenwood stretched to 8m 29s.

As the weather warmed up, so did the action behind the flying leaders. Bosman surrendered in Pinetown, while Zola Budd came into the frame only to falter and allowing Caroline Wostmann to take up the South African challenge.

Perhaps their murderous early pace did the damage because, going through Westville, first Olesya, then Elena, revealed that they were in serious trouble. Walks became frequent… looking over the shoulder… body language that all was not well. Roadside spectators told Greenwood that the twins were in trouble. At Mayville, 7 kilometres from home, Greenwood shifted up a gear into overdrive. Passing through Tollgate, she saw the lead vehicle in the distance.

With just three kilometres to run, Greenwood hit the front.

The Russian juggernaut had, finally, been subdued.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE MENS RACE

There was no clear favourite this year. Any one of a highly talented half-dozen could produce the performance that would take him to line honours.

On a balmy Durban morning, one could have been forgiven for thinking that summer was around the corner… yet it was still a few weeks short of mid-winter.

Soon after the start, a huge group, of nearly a hundred, formed behind the two early leaders, Gilbert Mutandiro and Thobani Chagwe. The speed that these two were running, indicated that they were never in the race proper. They were, in fact, out of contention long before halfway.

The main group, in which former winners Bongmusa Mthembu, Claude Moshiywa, Stephen Muzhingi and Ludwick Mamabolo were prominent, ran through Drummond in 2h 50m.

Inchanga, always a catalyst when the accelerators were depressed, soon initiated the disintegration as the no-hopers fell away and the real contenders emerged at the front. Once over the summit, the serious racing began with eight men left to do battle into Pietermaritzburg. Mthembu, Moshiywa, Muzhingi and Mamabolo were joined by Gift Kelehe, Lebohang Monyele and Hatiwande Nyamande, both from Lesotho, and Ethiopian, Mohammed Husien.

Monyele tried to break away with a few intermittent surges but Husien responded to every attempt and immediately after Camperdown, the Ethiopian became the first North African to lead a Comrades Marathon. A short distance behind, Kelehe made the move that, with nearly 24 kilometers still to run, saw him wrest the lead from Husien and ultimately carry him to a comfortable victory by almost 8 minutes. Husien hung on desperately to his second position, denying the determined drive by Nyamande, getting home 2 minutes ahead of the runner from Lesotho.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)

THE WOMENS RACE

Seventeen years is a long time.

Who can remember Rae Bischoff when she won the 1998 Up Run, ironically, from two Russian women who were both in the vanguard of the foreign invasion that was to include four Russians, two Germans and a lone Brit for all of that seventeen-year drought in which South Africa yearned for a home victory.

The Nurgalieva twins were among the starters that filed out of Durban. So was a university lecturer, a 32-year-old mother of two who was only able to run and train for the Comrades outside of working hours and home duties. Caroline Wostmann had, in the past few years, crept almost unnoticed into the reckoning. Was she the catalyst destined to wrench the title away from the invaders?

As the huge field plunged into the pre-dawn gloom, after passing under start banner, the next six hours would reveal the answer.

Adopting their proven success strategy, the Nurgalievas attacked immediately. Surprisingly, so did former Gold Medallist, Yolande Maclean, who held a short lead, after 16 kilometres, at the crest of Cowies Hill, but surrendered it soon after . Wostmann, running unhurried, trailed by fifty-one seconds as she commenced the drop into Pinetown. Running steadily, she caught, and overtook the Nurgalievas on the ascent of Botha’s Hill where she immediately lost it when she stopped to walk. After a few strides, she commenced running again and stormed passed them and built a lead of 1m 37s through the midpoint at Drummond.

Across the exposed hilltops to Pietermaritzburg, Wostmann simply ran away from the field while the Nurgalieva twins fell away, losing their position to Charne Bosman who came through to finish 21 minutes behind Wostmann.

The course, this year, was nearly 900 metres longer than that of previous Up Runs; the result of road works in central Pinetown

Wostmann pursued this walk-run strategy a few more times during the morning. It was, doubtless, a pre-planned tactic. She finished less than three minutes adrift of the Best Time for the Up Run. One wonders, if it was not for the extra distance and… if she had run the entire way… what time she would have recorded.

RESULT

VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)

MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)

GRANDMASTERS (AGE 60 +)