Philani ‘PK’ Sengce ran the race of his life to win the Cape Town Trail Marathon by Ryan Sandes in perfect conditions on the slopes of Table Mountain this morning, overjoyed to be able to support his sister’s university studies with part of his prize money.
Around 1500 trail runners took to the slopes of Table Mountain and its neighbouring peaks, partaking in three Cape Town Trail Marathon races.
The 43km race exploded in a thrilling final 8km, with just a minute separating the top five through 35km. The lead positions were turned upside down as Sengce and a flying Robbie Rorich overhauled race-long leader, Marcel Hoeche of Germany, in a final downhill frenzy.
When the dust had settled, an emotional Sengce, supported by an equally overcome coach and mentor, Jacques van Rensburg, had burst across the finish line to win in 3 hrs 50 min 16 sec – almost ten minutes faster than Zimbabwean Collin Kanyimo’s winning time last year, twenty minutes inside his own time last year in finishing fourth and just over a minute ahead of Rorich.
Hoeche, who placed 3rd in the Cape Town Trail Marathon in 2022 and 2nd in the 22km Peace Trail race in 2023 was a further 34 seconds back in third.
“I hardly know how I’m feeling,” Sengce blurted. “I’m over the moon, so happy. I can’t believe what happened.
“Last year I was struggling so much with a groin injury. I could not run at all for four months, but I kept at my rehab and was able to start again with some slow running in February.
“I was unable to race for a long time but was able to defend my Gun Run Trail title last month, which I used to check on my condition for today’s race.”
Sengce has had navigational challenges in the past, but he had no problems today. “I felt it best to sit behind the other guys so I didn’t get lost!
“With 7kays to go I began to make my move and closed on the leader. I surged clear with just 3kays to go and I was clear of him as we hit the tar roads on the descent to the stadium.
“But I told myself not to lose focus as I was worried about Robbie Rorich. Aiii – that one flies down the hills and I could feel him catching me. I was running for my life and told myself that there was this monster coming behind me!”
The R50 000 first prize is Sengce’s biggest pay day by far and his thoughts immediately went to his family. “I’ve been praying for some time that my situation might change so I can support my family. My sister is studying park management at Nelson Mandela University and I’ll be happy to support her.”
But spare a thought for Hoeche, German athlete but ‘adopted’ Cape Town resident in recent years, who led for close on 40km. He loves the trails and running community in Cape Town, where he has raced often in recent years.
“I had a good race and my finishing time underlines that it was strong race for me today,” said Hoeche. “I ran strategically and never blew up. I must admit that Philani and Robbie caught me by surprise – these guys were suddenly next to me and I struggled to respond.
“They ran a great race, but although I’m happy with my time, having led for so long, third place is a bit disappointing.”
Running with last year’s winner, Collin Kanyimo, Hoeche pushed hard up to the Saddle (13km) below Devil’s Peak and opened a small gap, which he opened further on the descent into Newlands Forest. He was a minute clear of the chasing pack through Kirstenbosch at 19,5km, with Kanyimo, Jacques du Plessis, Sengce and Rorich running in hot pursuit in a tight-knit foursome and closing the gap on the leader.
Rorich, who started conservatively, ran strongly to pass the Kings Blockhouse aid station just 43 seconds behind Hoeche, with Sengce, Kinyamo and Du Plessis following close behind.
Sengce pushed on the descent to Tafelberg Road and moved into second, catching Hoeche shortly after Kloof Nek, 35km into the race.
“We ran together to the Signal Hill aid station,” Hoeche continued. “I felt we were moving well and I was anticipating a sprint finish to the line when Philani surged up a tarred road and pulled away.
“But at least second place was secure, I thought. We’d been running hard and I felt there was no way anyone could close the gap. But I underestimated Robbie – I don’t know how he did it but I’m so impressed that he caught me and finished second.”
While the women’s competition may not have had depth in numbers, it delivered an intriguing battle between an athlete and her coach, with less than a minute separating the winner, Landie Greyling, from her charge, Maryke van Zyl.
Greyling crossed the line in triumph in 4:46:47 to win her second victory and third podium at Cape Town Trail Marathon in four years, while fast-improving Van Zyl had to concede victory to her coach, finishing 51 seconds in arrears.
Stellenbosch physiotherapist Nadia Booyens finished 10 minutes off the pace in third.
While Greyling’s victory was no surprise, her subsequent announcement that she is retiring from all competitive athletes thus ending a stellar career on road and trail, came as a shock to many.
Greyling had led early on, but lost concentration and confidence mid-way through, allowing Van Zyl to build what looked like a winning lead. It took a lightly sprained ankle to jolt her back into focus and give her a chance of victory.
“I like to keep things interesting!” Greyling joked. “I felt great when I woke this morning and thought I’d smash it today, but in the end felt pretty average and had manage my body.
“I felt good for the first 15km, and then when I had hoped to open a gap on the more runnable section from Kirstenbosch, my body didn’t respond. There was nothing I could do except put one foot in front of the other, hoping for a miracle.”
And when her protégé, Van Zyl, swept past as the runners entered Newlands Forest, 21km into the race, and opened a gap of 2 min 10sec at the Kings Blockhouse after 25km, the miracle looked far off.
“And then it happened as I reached Tafelberg Road about 31km into the race near the aid station.” Greyling reflected. “It first didn’t appear to be a miracle when I screamed in agony and rage as I twisted my ankle when Christiaan (her husband) handed me my bottle and I stumbled over his foot.
“I kept trotting on and somehow the twisted ankle seemed to bring me back into focus. I ran well through Deer Park and when I saw Christiaan at Kloof Nek after 35km, the gap was down to 1:50. That gave me hope and 2km further on at Signal Hill, I was just 45 seconds behind and could see Maryke ahead of me.”
The ‘catch’ came on a steep single-track descent when Coach Landie almost collided with her charge as she tried to overtake with just 3km left to race. “I then held back for a bit before I was able to slip past on a switch-back.”
But Greyling’s ‘interesting’ day was not over as her leg muscles cramped just over a kilometre from the finish.
“I’d been really gunning it on the tarred roads at around 3m 30sec per km pace. I skipped down three steps at a time but started cramping as we started to turn towards the stadium. I thought Maryke would surge past, but she was also struggling with cramps and I was able to hold it together by slowing the pace.
“Maryke ran a great race and has age and fire in her favour, but perhaps experience can still prove beneficial.”
Steeplechase track star, Siboniso Soldaka, appears unbeatable in the 22km Peace Trail Race in and around Lions Head and Signal Hill, and he raced to his fifth win after a titanic battle with rising Limpopo star, Remakeste Lekaka, who pushed Soldaka all the way to the finish.
Soldaka was only able to break clear in the final kilometres on the descent to the stadium to win in a course record time of 1:14:17, just 20 seconds ahead of Lekaka and fully 12 minutes inside his winning time last year.
Southern Cape athlete, Underson Ncube, was 13 minutes off the pace in third.
“Remaketse gave me good competition today – he is strong, especially on the climbs,” Soldaka reflected. “He would open up on the climbs and I would catch him on the flatter trails.
“In the end it was only 2,5km from the finish that I was able to lengthen my stride on the tar roads and draw ahead of him to take the win.”
Lekaka’s mentor, Protea athlete, Thabang Madiba, has marked the 26-year-old athlete as a future champion with Lekaka already having won the Wolkberg Trail 65km and the Magoebas Ultra 50km.
Second at the Otter TERREX Trail two weeks ago, Rebecca Watney was second to none in the women’s contest in the Peace Trail 22km, crossing the line in 1:48:56 to finish more than 6 minutes clear of Lijan Burger.
Windy conditions may have slowed things down in the first half of the 2025 Sanlam Peace Run 10km, which also took place in Green Point this morning, but that same wind then pushed the athletes all the way home in the second half.
This not only helped Deon-Lee Hendricks and Tayla Kavanagh successfully defend their 2024 titles, but Hendricks posted his best time in this race, while Kavanagh shattered her personal best by 16 seconds as she posted the fastest 10km time by a South African woman this year.
Hendricks won in 29:27 – 23 seconds faster than his winning time last year – but it was Kavanagh’s 31:37 win, which benefitted from track star, Ryan Mphalele, serving as an official pace-maker, that had the crowd on their feet.
The Durban-based athlete’s time is a 16 sec improvement on her previous best and is the 11th best of all time by South African women, with only Glenrose Xaba, Elana Meyer and Colleen De Reuck having ever gone faster.
Results
Cape Town Trail Marathon (RSA unless otherwise indicated)
Men
1 Philani Sengce 3:50:16; 2 Robbie Rorich 3:51:29; 3 Marcel Hoeche (Germany) 3:32:03; 4 Jacques du Plessis 4:00:51; 5 Collin Kanyimo (Zimbabwe) 4:01:54; 6 Mvuyisi Gcogco 4:06:51; 7 JJ van der Merwe 4:12:56; 8 Kyle Bucklow 4:`13:08; 9 Oli Morris 4:21:42; 10 Anele Bans 4:26:18
Women
1 Landie Greyling 4:46:47; 2 Maryke van Zyl 4:47:38; 3 Nadia Booyens 4:56:49; 4 Verone Grobler 5:05:22; 5 Jeanne Brink 5:15:12; 6 Kristen Heath 5:19:08; 7 Uta Leyman (Germany) 5:33:26; 8 Mari Bokn (Norway) 5:38:51; 9 Daisy Myburgh 5:39:02; 10 Paige Phillips 5:42:22
Cape Town Trail 22km (RSA unless otherwise indicated)
Men
1 Siboniso Soldaka 1:14:17; 2 Remaketse Lekaka 1:14:37; 3 Underson Ncube 1:27:48; 4 Wano Katjiri 1:33:08; 5 Siviwe Nkombi 1:34:20; 6 Tsielo Tsanyane 1:35:47; 7 Brandon Keeling 1:40:09; 8 Sinovuyo Ngcobo 1:41:27; 9 Kevin Pluddemann 1:49:44; 10 Ivan Robinson 1:51:01
Women
1 Rebecca Watney 1:48:56; 2 Lijan Burger 1:55:25; 3 Nicola Vahrmeijer 1:57:32; 4 Olga Antoniceva (Latvia) 2:02:50; 5 Kiara Damianou 2:05:24; 6 Zanne Roothman 2:10:36; 7 Hanlie Rennie 2:10:59; 8 Heloise Groenewald 2:14:6; 9 Olivia Davidson 2:16:17; 10 Nicola di Rollo (GBR) 2:17:18
Cape Town Trail 11km (RSA unless otherwise indicated)
Men
1. Riaan Wildschut 47:02 (CR); 2. Khulekani Mbuyazi 54:29; 3. Mthobisi Ntanzi 55:23; 4. Riaan Marais 58:37; 5. Giovanni Schilder 1:01:33
Women
1. Nozipho Motaung 1:10:40; 2. Ashley Jane Kettles 1:12:31; 3. Sandra Kropp (Germany) 1:12:42; 4. Esmee Gummer (Great Britain) 1:14:12; 5. Tayler Azevedo 1:14:15
Peace Run 10km Results
Men:
1. Deon-Lee Hendricks (Athletics Academy) 29:27
2. Luan Munnik (Potch Track) 29:39
3. Bruce-Lynn Damons (Tymebank Langa) 29:55
4. Angelo Booysen (Correctional Services) 29:59
5. Dylan Van Der Merwe (Boxer) 30:15
Women:
1. Tayla Kavanagh (Hollywood) 31:37
2. Carina Viljoen (Temp) 33:02
3. Irvette Van Zyl (Hollywood) 33:29
4. Kyla Jacobs (Boxer) 33:57
5. Cian Oldknow (Hollywood) 34:35
Peace Run 5km Results
Men:
1. Nicolas Sebolai (South Africa) 15:27
2. Mduduzi Peter Chili (South Africa) 17:12
3. Grigorii Glebov (Russia) 17:30
Women:
1. Laura Antonia Rehberg (Germany) 19:38
2. Nosiphiwo Sixubane (South Africa) 19:49
3. Nikita Rushby (South Africa) 20:56
