Marathon magic in New York and Soweto

Competitive racing was the order of the day at the TCS New York City Marathon and African Bank Soweto Marathon over the weekend as Sydney celebrated becoming the 7th Abbott’s Marathon Major, setting its path to attract the world’s best marathoners to race Down Under.

Somalian-born Dutch athlete, Abdi Nageeye, and Kenyan Sheila Chepkirui made light of their underdog status by hitting top form when it counted, racing clear of their more favoured rivals in the final quarter on Sunday (3 November) to win the Big Apple’s top prize of $100 000 apiece.

Olympic ‘big guns’ and race favourites, Tamirat Tola and Helen Obiri, were left with consolation prizes but the outcome of the world’s highest-profile marathon was again a triumph for African distance-running.

Tola left nothing behind on the Olympic Marathon roads in Paris in August as he raced to victory and a prized gold medal.  Recent shoe technology advances aiding post-race recovery notwithstanding, Tola’s tank was empty when Nageeye (who dropped out of the Olympic Marathon) and Kenya’s non-Olympians Evans Chebet and Albert Korir upped the racing ante towards the business end of the race.

Silver medallist in the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, Nageeye was bitterly disappointed after being forced to quit halfway through the Olympic Marathon.  But he turned his frustration in Paris into motivation for New York and came through in fine style, racing clear of Chebet on the final climb to the finish in Central Park to break the tape in 2:07:39 to win by 6 seconds.

Korir finished third in 2:08:00 after overhauling Tola shortly before the finish.

Obiri took bronze in Paris behind Sifan Hassan after giving her all in a tense battle and her inability to respond to her compatriot Sheila Chepkirui’s last gasp surge to the finish in Central Park could likely be traced to back to Paris.

Chepkirui built her athletics career on a strong track and cross-country base, winning several African championship medals, including the 5000m gold in Durban in 2016.

She moved up to the marathon in 2022 with considerable success, placing third at Valencia Marathon in 2:17:29, before gaining second place at Berlin Marathon the following year in 2:17:49.

Sunday’s success in the Big Apple was her fifth marathon and first victory, with a fourth and sixth place in the past two London Marathons completing her quintet.

Closer to home, only 18 seconds and the precocious talent of ultra-marathoner, Onalenna Khonkhobe, prevented what would have been a remarkable husband and wife double-act at the African Bank Soweto Marathon.

25 000 entered the race which was billed as the biggest single-day running event in South Africa.

Lesotho’s Paris Olympian, Neheng Khatala, held off her east African rivals to win a tough race in 2:43:07, just under two minutes clear of Kenyan Margaret Jepchumba, with Ethiopian Worke Degu Amena third, a further three minutes back.

Khatala’s husband, Khoarahlane Seutloali, looked a likely winner when he raced clear of the leading pack in the final quarter, only to for Khonkhobe to run him down in the home stretch to take victory in 2:18:36.

Given to bold pre-race predictions, the Klerksdorp-based athlete told the pre-Soweto Marathon media briefing that he would be alone in the finish-straight to take honours.

He was as good as his word, with Seutloali trailing behind in second 18 seconds later.

The announcement on Sunday that the TCS Sydney Marathon will be added to the Abbott Marathon Majors next year is recognition for the success achieved by Australia’s premier road race in meeting all AMM criteria in its two candidacy assessments.

25 000 runners competed in this year’s Sydney Marathon in September.

“We are beyond excited to celebrate Sydney becoming a Abbott World Marathon Major,” said Faces CEO, Clark Gardner, who is leading the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon’s bid to join the exclusive group.

“They have shown us candidate cities what is possible and provided a clear path. It was incredible to watch how they developed a race that had perhaps 4000 finishers three years back to now expecting 35,000 finishers next year. It shows you the magic of the Marathon Majors status.”

Cape Town remains on track to join the Abbott Marathon Majors club, with May 2026 the designated date for its first competition in the ‘big league’.

RESULTS

TCS NEW YORK CITY MARATHON