Two Oceans Half Marathon set to welcome top-class athletes on Easter weekend

By Stephen Granger

What started as a relatively small side show to the Two Oceans Ultra-marathon in 1998, soon became the biggest seller on the Easter Weekend as the Two Oceans Half Marathon attracted runners from far and wide and tomorrow’s Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon promises to deliver another gem in the race’s jeweled history.

Won by local Cape Town athlete, Makhosonke Fika and South African Olympic athlete Gwen Griffiths in its first year, many of Africa’s finest distance athletes have written their name in Two Oceans history with stellar performances over an always-challenging 21km course. More accessible to runners than the challenging 56km route, the half marathon grew steadily before reaching its traffic-related cut-off of 16 000 a decade ago.

This year’s numbers are slightly down, a legacy of COVID and the timing of Ramadan this year, but the quality of the field tomorrow appears as strong as ever, with many leading Southern African athletes slated to line up at the start– the first occasion when the shorter-distance race will enjoy a dedicated race day, with the Ultra scheduled for Sunday. Bragging rights for a win in the Oceans Half Marathon are about as big as they come in sub-marathon races in the region.

As with many distance races in the country, the Two Oceans Half and Ultras will again be largely about the ‘green and gold’, with the green-vested Nedbank athletes up against the challenge of the golden-clad Murray and Roberts runners. But welcome additions to the ranks of clubs supporting elite athletes in the shape of Boxer, Phantane, Holywood Bets and Retail Langa among others will ensure colour diversity in the lead packs.

 One of the strong contenders in the ‘golden corner’ is former Olympian marathon athlete, Sibusiso Nzima, whose victory in the Cape Peninsula Half Marathon in February ahead of two of his strong rivals in tomorrow’s race, Philani Buthelezi and David Manja, signaled a return to form.

“I recently returned from a long and troubling groin injury and I’m enjoying being back in the action,” explained Nzima after winning the half marathon in February.  “After the Rio Olympics in 2016 it was a long struggle, but with COVID bringing an end to races, that gave me a chance to recover.”

Nzima spoke at today’s elite athletes’ media briefing in a City hotel of his ‘re-incarnation’ as an elite athlete and in particular his decision to end his self-coaching tenure by signing up with renowned distance-running coach, Lindsay Parry.  “When I was training on my own, I was just running hard without any strategy and I was often injured. So in 2021 I thought let me take on a coach and it’s made a huge difference. 

“I started to develop a good relationship with Lindsay Parry. He taught me not to rush, but to gradually build strength to get back to where I was in order to build the best possible future for me. The support that I got from my coach and others to get me back was incredible.

“I knew I had to work very hard to get there, as there are many talented youngsters who are coming hard into the sport. But I’m pleased that slowly my times are improving. My aim is to become an ultra-distance runner but for now I’m pleased to be faster over the shorter distances.”

Nzima made no cheap podium promises for the outcome tomorrow but looked forward to a close contest with quiet confidence. “For tomorrow’s race, everything is in order. It’s not an easy race – it’s a tough course – but we are looking for a strong contest with many of the top runners in the field. We’re looking forward to a great competition.”

Nzima’s year goal is to make the South African marathon team for either of the Commonwealth Games in the UK in August or the World Championships in the USA in July and tomorrow’s race will prove an important contest between several of the contenders for selection.

One of those ‘talented youngsters’ Nzima referred to was seated next to him at the media function. Phantane’s Mbuleli Mathanga, whose 1 hr 00 min 17 sec in Rome last year makes him the fastest in the field tomorrow, will undoubtedly feature in the dash for podium places.

If Nzima represents the best of the ‘gold’ of Murray and Roberts, one of those ‘youngsters’ in the green colours of Nedbank was seated next to him at the media function. Mbuleli Mathanga, whose 1 hr 00 min 17 sec in Rome last year makes him the fastest in the field tomorrow, will undoubtedly feature in the dash for podium places.

Mathanga’s track form last year assisted Precious Mashele to achieve an Olympic qualifying time and although his current form appears down on his high peak last June, he has the talent to challenge for line honours.

Returning champion from 2019, Elroy Gelant, will not lightly hand over the baton, however. The Potchefstroom-based athlete is one of the most consistent in the country and boasts impressive times over distances from 1500m to the marathon. He may not outkick Mathanga in a sprint to the finish but has the ability to make the race his own in the final kilometres.

With a flood of distance-running talent pouring into Cape Town from throughout Africa, Cape Town’s best chance of success lies in the women’s half marathon competition, where the Athletes Academy’s Nolene Conrad and Retail Langa’s Zimbabwe-born Fortunate Chidzivo will be challenging hard for top three positions.

Although Conrad trailed Chidzivo by some distance in the Cape Peninsula Half Marathon in February (Chidzivo’s outstanding 1:12:34 was 31 seconds inside Conrad’s 2018 previous course record), the Blue-Down’s born Conrad is fast returning to the form which earned her World Athletics gold status and is looking forward to test herself in a strong contest tomorrow.

Both athletes might have to be content with the lesser podium places, however, with Ethiopian Tadu Nare favourite to take the title following a string of big performances on road and track last year.

The race gets underway in Newlands Main Road at 06h30 with the winners expected home at the UCT ‘Green Mile’ just over an hour later.