Top athletes contend for Gqeberha’s Runified 50km

With windy weather conditions expected for the final countdown to race day, the elite field gathered for the 4th edition of the Runified City 50km set for 25 February 2024 will need to be ready to test their mettle.

The top three athletes who will be spearheading the elite field from Pollock Beach, Summerstrand, will be Guillaume Ruel from France, Nkosikhona Mhlwakana from KZN and Lebello Mopenyane (Maxed Elite Lesotho).

Mopenyane led Two Oceans last year and was only caught in the final 5km to finish 5th on his debut ultra marathon, while Mhlakwana just missed a top ten finish at the 2021 Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50km race.

Mhlakwana, a Comrades gold medallist from2022, and who has since claimed two consecutive top three finishes at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon in 2022 and 2023, says he is ready.

“This is the start of my 2024 season.  This year things are a bit different as a Comrades gold medal will be my main focus.  So I need to get in some early training to enable me to recover before another training block before Comrades.

“In 2021 I raced the Runified 50km just two weeks after winning the Ultra-trail Drakensberg 62km and finished 11^th.  I had tears down my face – why another 11^th place again after my first Comrades Marathon when I was also 11th, I asked myself! 

“So this year it’s about unfinished business and its time to stop the tears, both at Runified and at Comrades and together with my coach, Prodigal Khumalo, we are planning carefully to make this happen this year.

“My training has gone well and I’m aiming for a good position to bring a smile on my face on Sunday, although I will miss out this year on one of my favourites – the Two Oceans Marathon.

“Hollywood Athletics Club – my club – and my sponsors, Puma SA and 32gi, have been so supportive and I hope I can give them something back in return.  It’s not just about me – it’s a whole team who have been supporting me, in order to inspire the township youngsters to also become top runners.”

Ruel, a very strong French athlete who finished the 2022 Runified 50km in his personal best time of 2 hr 47 min, achieving both a National and European Records, has now improved his marathon time down to 2:14. An exciting finish between Ruel and Nkosikhona is anticipated,

Also in contention is Jobo Khotane, from Maxed Elite Lesotho, who will be competing in his debut ultra marathon. A fast half marathon runner, Khotane has had multiple top 10 finishes in the tough Soweto Marathon to his name.

In the women’s race Nedbank running club athletes, Galetsang Mekgoe and Kelly van Vliet as well as Hollywood’s Loveness Madziva, will be the ones to watch. This will be Mekgoe’s third consecutive Runified 50km, and she will be looking to improve on her 2022 edition (7 th position) and last year’s 6th position in 3hr 33min 23sec

Kelly van Vliet is fit and ready to go and will have the local crowd behind her. In 2022, her ultra-debut, Van Vliet was the 4 th South African woman to finish, clocking an excellent 3 hr30 min.

Madziva (Hollywood Athletics Club) finished 7th at Two Oceans in 2019 and 10th in 2023 coming off the birth of her child. She won the Prince Mangosuthu Butheletizi 52km in 2019 and 2021.

For more information, athletes can contact Michael Mbambani on 079 149 6796, Irene van Eeden on 083 299 1775, EP Athletics office on 041 374 2818 or email epa@pe.co.za