By Stephen Granger
Zimbabwe eyes were smiling at at the University of Cape Town sports fields this morning (Saturday 16 April) as Moses Tarakinyu and Fortunate Chidzivo swept to victory in the Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon.
Both athletes were born north of the Limpopo River but Chidzivo received the loudest cheers as the Cape Town-based athlete, running in the colours of Retail Langa, broke the tape in triumph in one of the most impressive victories of her career.
The race did not lack for excitement, with the men’s race in particular closely fought. Twenty-five athletes formed the lead pack at half way and seven were still in contention just over 3km from the finish. In the end just three seconds separated the top three, with defending champion Elroy Gelant failing by little more than a whisker to catch his Zimbabwe rival.
Tarakinyu, running in the colours of Nedbank International, won in 1 hr 03 min 30 sec – just 14 seconds outside Lesotho athlete Namakoe Nkhasi’s 2017 ‘new route’ race record, a remarkable achievement for the 27-year-old father of two young children, given the testing windy conditions which prevailed and in the Zimbabwean’s first race outside his home country. The R25 000 first prize was the biggest of his career, a welcome gift to his family.
Gelant was caught out by the new and shorter finish on the UCT grass, leaving his final sprint too late. He passed Mokgobu just before the finish and crossed the line two seconds down on the winner. Phantane’s Mbuleli Mathanga finished a close fourth behind Mokgobu after a brave attempt to win the race 2km from home.
Chidzivo dominated the women’s race, breaking from her rivals with apparent ease to race to victory in 1:14:48 – well inside Nolene Conrad’s winning time in 2019 but over two minutes outside Ethiopian Biru Mengistu’s 2013 record of 1:12:42.
“I’m so pleased to have won today,” enthused Chidzivo. “The race certainly did not go as planned in the hours since yesterday. But it all worked out on the road and it’s a great feeling to win at Two Oceans.”
Because of a ‘snaffle’ with the issuing of her race number, Chidzivo arrived back at her hotel after the restaurants had closed the night before the race. “I was left with fast-food chicken portions – there was no choice. I had a bad night but luckily it all came together in the morning.
“I tend to get intimidated by other athletes’ reputations, so I made a point of ignoring the others running around me – especially the Ethiopians! I just focused on my own race. I started cautiously and was running behind the leaders early on but soon caught up.
“I felt quite good on the long climb up Southern Cross Drive when I was running with another Zimbabwean, Caroline Mhandu, my sometime training partner when I’m back home in Harare in Zimb. We encouraged each other on the climb and that helped me a lot.”
As dawn broke, Gqeberha-based Thabang Mosiako, running in the colours of Boxer, emerged at the front of the pack through 8 km. With the strong headwind no-one was prepared to risk a breakaway and a large lead group of around 25 were still together through half-way, brought up in 32 min 01 sec.
Prominent in the vanguard were Zimbabweans Tarakinyu and Isaac Mpofu, M&R athlete Sibusiso Nzima, Holywood Bets’ Collen Mulaudzi, multiple Gun Run winner David Manja of Nedbank and Mosiako.
With the wind now from the side, the pack started to string out as the paced increased with Tarakinyu opening a small gap at the start of the 2km climb up Southern Cross Drive.
Mulaudzi was the first to bridge the divide, joining the Zimbabwean with fastest in the field, Mbuleli Mathanga, joining the pair shortly after. Gelant and Mokgobu led the following group across the gap and ten runners led the race as the athletes reached the top of the climb through a colourful Totalsports activation station.
With the wind at their backs and on a gradual descent, defending champion Gelant took the lead with Mulaudzi at his shoulder, the two leading the pack through 15km in 46:49. The Zimbabweans Tarakinyu, Mpofu and Munyaradzi Jari, Lesotho’s ever-present Namakoe Nkhasi and South Africans Mathanga, Bonginkosi Zwane and Mokgobu completed the pack.
Tall Ethiopian, Dejene Bikila, still a junior, joined the leaders on the undulating stretch towards the top gate of Kirstenbosch, impressing with his easy long stride and Gelant led the pack from the top gate and down the steep descent to Kirstenbosch.
The lead pack had trimmed to seven as Gelant led up ‘Chet’s Hill’ – the short climb from the Rhodes Drive traffic lights – with Tarakinyu on his shoulder and Bikila close behind. Mulaudzi and Mosiako were the victims of the short climb, leaving just five in front and moving at pace.
With two kilometres left to run, Mathanga hit the front, testing his rivals and opening a small gap at the front. “I encouraged Mbuleli to go for it at that stage and try to break the Zimbabweans and Ethiopian,” said Gelant, who admitted to being a few kilograms over his ideal ‘fighting’ weight, following a long recovery following last year’s Olympics. “It’s great to be able to support each other as the Kenyans often do and working with Mbuleli was a plan to get a South African win.”
Gelant took over with a surge of his own, but the talented Bikila immediately responded, drawing the others with him and with less than a kilometre to run, the top five were still inseparable. The final short climb before the athletes entered the University of Cape Town grounds ended Bikila and Mathanga’s challenge as the lead trio took the final descent to the grounds at high speed.
It was Tarakinyui who gained the drop on his rivals, hitting the grass 10 metres clear. The defending champion, Gelant, came flying at the finish, using the speed which took him to the national 5000m track record, overtaking Mokgobu but running out of real estate and leaving Tarakinui to break the tape.
“This is my first attempt to take part in a big race like Two Oceans and my first race ever in South Africa. I’m happy to be first across the line today,” remarked Tarakinyui. “I did not know many of the athletes, but I knew Elroy as he was the defending champion, so I kept an eye on him throughout the race. My previous big win was at the Victoria Falls Half Marathon, but this is my fastest ever half marathon!”
In the women’s competition, Chidzivo led through half-way in 36:45, closely pursued by Lesotho’s Mokulubete Makatasi, Ethiopian Kore Gelaye and Zimbabwe’s Caroline Mhandu. The quartet held a thirty second gap over USA College accounting graduate, 26 year-old Laura Labuschaigne, running strongly in fifth.
As the athletes started the climb, only Mhandu could stay with Chidzivo, with the two enjoying a gap of 20-30 metres as they reached the top, but Gelaye came back strongly on the descent, overhauling Mhandu to move into second place.
Chidzivo proved too strong on the day, holding off her East African rival to record a memorable victory.
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