Peninsula goes virtual, no replacement for the wind

One of South Africa’s oldest and most prestigious marathons, the Cape Peninsula Marathon, morphs into virtual format this year, following the lead of most of the country’s top road races.

A February calendar slot meant the race took place in physical form in 2020, one of the few marathons to do so. It was unusual in that a strong ‘north-wester’ blew unseasonally at the athletes’ backs and helped many to personal best times on the Green Point to Simon’s Town route.

The 2020 race was won, for the second year in succession, by ‘Khayelitsha running pastor’ Lindikhaya Mthangayi in 2:18:02 – the fastest winning time since 2012 – and by former Comrades winner, Ann Ashworth, in a superb 2:43:00 – the second-fastest time this century. 

Only Charne Bosman, another Comrades winner, has run the Peninsula women’s race faster this century, having clocked 2:42:56 in 2003.  And 17 years later she ran almost as well, placing second to Ashworth in the 2020 race, clocking 2:48:27. The third fastest woman of the century at the Cape Peninsula Marathon was Elana van Zyl, who clocked 2:44:01 in 2001, running as Elana Meyer.

Fastest overall winning time this century was that of that of the diminutive Gauteng athlete, Simon Mphulanyane, who clocked a pacey 2:13:40, with second fastest time going to top Namibian, Luketz Swartbooi, who won in 2:16:12 in 2006.

Swartzbooi was one of a number of international athletes who took the Peninsula title in the past 21 years, others being Oliver Kandeiro (2003) and Tabitha Tsatsa (2005) of Zimbabwe,  Kenya’s Moses Kurgat (2016) and British athlete Tish Jones, winning in her debut marathon in 2016.

Mphulanyane and Bosman’s times are considered impressive by today’s standards, but not so compared with the ‘glory days’ of marathon running in the latter part of the 20^th century.  Ernest Tjela’s third successive win in 2:11:47 in 1987 eclipsed Bernard Rose’s 2:12:10, which was a South African record when he set the mark in 1983.

Cape Town pharmacist, Monica Drogemoller, is the only athlete to have four senior titles to her credit in the Peninsula and also holds the race record. Her winning time of 2:37:19 set in 1990, the third of her wins, narrowly improved Adeline Joubert’s 2:37:46, set in 1985.

Some of the top names in South African road running hold Cape Peninsula Marathon titles. Apart from those previously mentioned, Willie Olivier, Willie Mtolo, Thompson Magawana, Vincent Rakabaele, Mark Page, Isavel Roche-Kelly, Sonja Laxton and Lindsay Weight have all won at least once on the Main Road down to Simon’s Town.

One of the most interesting wins was that of Ron Boreham, who won in a respectable 2:17:14 in 1984, the year the race was turned upside down.  Because of the frequent occurrence of the gusty south-easter in February, blowing against the runners for much of the race, organisers were persuaded to start the race in Simon’s Town and end it in the city centre. 

The weather gods can never be defeated, however, and that was one of the few occasions the north wester blew.  Drogemoller won the women’s event in 2:55:38 – her slowest time.  The failed experiment has never been repeated.

While COVID has forced the hand of the organisers to cancel this year’s ‘actual’ race, a sponsor in the form of Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages has ensured the event will still go ahead. Coca-Cola Peninsula Beverages will be the presenting sponsor for the Peninsula Virtual Marathon and Peninsula Virtual Half-Marathon.

The virtual event will now take place between the 16 -24 May, and entrants will receive a quality technical fabric branded T-shirt when they enter either the marathon, half marathon or the 10km. The entry fee is R235 and entries opened last Saturday, with entrants being able to collect their T-shirt at various Sportsman’s Warehouse stores throughout the country.

All 2021 Virtual Peninsula Marathon and Half Marathon persons who have entered this year’s event will be given a preferential early entry option to get into the physical / actual 2022 event scheduled for mid-February next year.

Those entering the virtual race will benefit the race’s official charity – the Amy Foundation (formerly the Amy Biehl Foundation – Together Changing Lives), with www.topevents.co.za providing more information and an entry portal.

Story by Stephen Granger

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