Ethiopia to the fore in celebration of African marathon magic at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

Ethiopian Adane Kebede Gebre won the 2023 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in 2 hrs 11 min 25 sec in one of the closest finishes in the history of the race, with South African hero, Stephen Mokoka, narrowly failing to clinch his fourth title in his favourite road race on home soil.

Gebre’s compatriot, Tsige Haileslase Abreha, took the women’s title in 2:24:17, falling just 15 seconds short of the course record set by another Ethiopian, Meseret Dinke, last year.

The winning margin of eight seconds was the third closest in the ten year history of the race, but with less than two minutes separating the top eleven finishers, there was no doubting the depth of quality of the competition in a celebration of African distance running.  Athletes from five countries represented in the top fifteen places.

“What a fabulous race, this is incredibly exciting,” shouted television commentator, ultra-distance legend, Bruce Fordyce, as ten athletes still jostled for the lead just over two kilometres from the finish.

Local fans watching the big screen at the finish went berserk as Mokoka surged into the lead, opening a gap on his pursuers and looking every inch a winner. But their cries of joy turned to groans as Gebre closed the gap and sprinted clear as the pair turned into the finishing straight on the blue carpet at the Green Point sports precinct.

Gebre held on for victory in his Cape Town debut, with Mokoka crossing the line just 8 seconds in arrears.

“The race was really very good and I’ve enjoyed my time in Cape Town,” Gebre said. “We’ve been welcomed by the city so well and have enjoyed incredible hospitality.”

Mokoka regretted what he referred to as a ‘small mistake’ in the final stages. “With about 2km to go we were still in a large pack and I couldn’t really feel the wind,” the 38 year old South Africa distance running supremo. “That’s when I surged away on my own and immediately felt the headwind which drained my legs. In hindsight, I should have waited a bit longer before making my move.

“But that’s racing and all credit to Adane for his win Cape Town. He will be proud to have this on his CV when Cape Town becomes a future Abbott Marathon Major!  This will gain him access to other big races around the world.”

For ten years Sanlam Cape Town Marathon has enjoyed near-perfect running conditions, give or take a zephyr or two. This perfect run had end one day, and it did so in 2023 with a substantial headwind in the final 4 km adding to the strain of runners at the time athletes wanted it least.

Perfectly calm conditions at the start belied what was to follow and the gusts of wind which impacted the athletes after the first quarter forced a more tactical approach, as athletes remained in the lead pack to seek protection from the elements.

But marathon racing does not take place in a controlled temperature, humidity and air speed environment within a science lab. It’s about the ability of athletes to measure their fitness and form in the context of prevailing conditions, which might handicap some and favour others.

“It was perfect for me,” said Dutch winner of the wheelchair race, Geert Schipper, who’s impressive 1:32:09 shattered American Aaron Pike’s record set last year by over eight minutes. “I would never do well on a flat course with no wind, but the Cape Town course played to my strength.”

Dawes broke clear early in the race, leaving two British athletes, Michael McCabe and Sean Frame to sprint to the finish for the minor placings, with McCabe taking silver a second clear of Frame.

If the Cape weather played to Schipper’s strength, it was the support of the Cape Town crowds – its legendary ‘gees’ – which carried British athlete Eden Rainbow-Cooper through to a record win in the women’s wheelchair race, her 1:52:58, almost five minutes inside Brazilian Vanessa de Souza’s winning time last year.  De Souza took bronze today behind Australian Christie Dawes.

“I’m over the moon with my performance,” said Rainbow-Cooper. “Every course is different, but I loved Cape Town!  The gusts of wind between building made it challenging, but there were only a few parts which were tough.  One of the really big things for me was the atmosphere. Crowds were out there, shouting your name.  They seemed genuinely excited in our event, which you don’t always get in other parts. I felt like a true elite!”

The men’s pre-race favourites were all in contention through the first half, watching each other and unwilling to stride out in the wind alone until Ethiopia’s Gadisa Bekele Gutama pushed the pace over Stanhope Bridge at the southern-most part of the course. Murray & Roberts’ athlete, Thabang Masihlelo, joined him up front through 19km with the pair running about 30 metres clear of the 30-strong lead pack.

With the surprising demise of the pacer after 10km, runners adopted a cautious approach with athletes running in close formation through halfway at Rondebosch Common in a relatively slow 1:07:02. South African fans were treated to the sight of two Comrades champion, Tete Dijana and Edward Mothibi, leading the field at the start of the second half, past the Rondebosch Cottage Hospital.

The pace picked up in the second half, gradual whittling down the lead group to 11 main contenders heading into the final 10 kilometres. South African athletes Mokoka, Dijana, Melikhaya Frans and Sbiniso Sikhakhane were all in the mix deep into the race, but when the race reached the business end, Mokoka was alone with the East Africans.

Passing the final aid station Mokoka made his move. “My coach always reminds you, what you drink now is only for later. So, when some of the guys moved across the road to take a feed I pressed on,” the course record holder said. Only Gebre went with Mokoka, but it took him the best part of a kilometre to draw level with Mokoka, setting up the thrilling climax to race.

Gebre and Mokoka were joined on the podium by Benard Kipkorir. The Kenyan was 23 seconds off the winning time, just ahead of his compatriot Joshua Kipkemboi Kogo and Zewudu Hailu Bekele, of Ethiopia. In total there were four Ethiopians, three Kenyans, two South Africans and a Zimbabwean in the top eleven places.

In the women’s race, a strong group of nine runners covered the first 15 kilometres together, led by two pacemakers. It was only around the half-way mark, reached in 1:12:02, that the wind and the attritional nature of the course began to take their toll, leaving six athletes clear at the front.

Haileslase, winner of last year’s Stockholm Marathon, looked comfortable tucked behind the pacemakers with fellow Ethiopians Melesech  Tsegaye Beyene, Selam Fente Gebre, Ayinadis Teshome Birle and Shewarge Alene Amare and Kenyan Sheila Chepkech keeping her company and 2021 winner Lydia Simiyu dropping out of contention.

The pace increased with four remaining at 25km. Then there were two as Gebre held on tenaciously. But Haileslase went solo as the runners reached Woodstock Main Road and with only her pacer, Lesotho marathoner and former Two Oceans Marathon winner, Motlokoa Nkhabutlane, for company, set off to break the course record.

Cramps in the final 2 km could not prevent Haileslase from claiming victory in an Olympic qualifying time, although they likely cost her the course record.

Tsegaye finished strongly to claim second place in 2:26:22, also an Olympic qualifier with a third Ethiopian, Alene, taking the last podium position in 2:27:26.