By Mark Etheridge
Windy weather had tongues wagging at Saturday's Old Mutual Two Oceans 56 kilometre ultra-marathon around the peninsula. But comeback kid Marco Mambo still ran off with a financial windfall of R150 000 plus bonuses from his club Mr Price.
Not only did he wrest the title back to Zimbabwe after South Africa's Bethuel Netshifhefhe won last year, but he also joined Siphiwe Gqele as only the second three-time winner of the Cape classic, although Gqele won three times on the trot. Mambo won in 2004 and 2005 and then failed to finish in the next two years.
Zimbabweans Honest Mutsakani won in 2001, Mambo in 2004 and 2005 and Moses Njodzi in 2006.
Proof of the wrecking-ball wind effect was Mambo's winning time of 3hr 11min 35 sec - his previous two winning efforts were 3:07:41 and 3:05:39.
Runner-up yesterday in 3:12:30 was fast finishing (and 11th last year) Mzwanele Maphekula from Eastern Province, with little-heralded Simon Peu from Gauteng third in 3:13:33.
"I couldn't actually run to plan today," said the likable Mambo, a businessman in Bindura, roughly 90km from Harare. This year I had my best preparation ever, better than when I won in 2004 and 2005. I did less mileage (maximum 150km a week this time) and more quality.
"But the wind messed everything up. Next year I'll be back and I still think I can break the record (3:03:44 by Thomson Magawana in 1988)."
As for the money, a fortune in Zimbabwean terms, Mambo was not overly stressed. "I'm a businessman so I watch my money carefully," he smiled. "I'll probably put it into my businesses (he owns two supermarkets, two bottlestores and 'some taxis').
The race saw a bunch of "red ants" in the shape of the Mr Price team, dominate from the gun. As the pace hotted up Toyota's Phillip Molefe held them off till 28km (passed in 1:34:15) but then they took over. Going up Chapman's Peak it was Mambo and Netshishefhehe who went head to head, but when they hit Hout Bay it was Mambo who was 32 seconds clear of teammate and 2003 winner Mluleki Nobanda.
The marathon mark (42.2km) saw Mambo motor by in 2:19:35, by which time the lead had grown to 1:06 and the race was effectively over. Runner-up Maphekula had a storming finish, improving on his fourth place in 2006 and 234th in 2005.
"I had hoped for the top five so this is great," said the Port Elizabeth based athlete. "I wanted to chase harder but that wind really scared me."
Top Western Province finisher was Mr Price's Siyabonga Habe in 17th spot (3:21:09) followed by John Mboko in 21st spot 3:24:14. Last year's champion, Netshifhefhe was gallant in defeat. "I just struggled from the start. I knew early on that I wasn't going to win today."
Former Comrades Marathon king Bruce Fordyce (4:57) just dipped under 5hrs to claim a Chet Sainsbury (former race director) medal but Sainsbury himself was about 10min too slow to get a namesake medal, clocking 5:11:30.
Three-time Comrades Marathon champion and 2001 Oceans runner-up Vladimir Kotov failed to break Titus Mamabolo's masters record of 3:29:40 by exactly a minute.
This article was written by Mark Etheridge and originally published on page 28 of Cape Argus on March 23, 2008.
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By Mark Etheridge
Just as Marco Mambo was overall winner in 2004 and 2005, Elena Nurgalieva won the women's category of the Two Oceans ultra-marathon. But on Saturday, she had to settle for second behind twin Olesya in the 39th running of the event.
Olesya clocked 3hr 34min 53sec, the second fastest time in the history of the race, as she surged away from Elena in the final stages. Elena hung on for second in 3:35:25, with 2006 winner Tatyana Zhirkova third in 3:39:24. That left defending champion Madina Biktagirova only able to manage fourth spot in 3:46:52.
"This is my great day," Olesya beamed. "I've run four times here now so it's about time. It's a very important win for my career. Now I'll go home and rest for two weeks or so and then prepare for the Comrades Marathon."
Elena was almost as overwhelmed. "Her victory is my victory. It's great for both of us. Yes, the wind was bad but it also cooled us down and I actually think conditions were very good."
Zhirkova said that after being injured last year she simply hadn't had enough time to prepare properly. Biktagirova wasn't happy at all. "I just felt heavy from the start. Maybe I didn't recover properly from all the training but actually I think it's just a cycle in my running. You have ups and downs and I think this year may be just a 'down' year. It's bound to be better next year."
Of the South African runners, there was a new face on the scene. In recent years local girl Farwa Mentoor has been the top SA finisher, but on this occasion could only manage seventh in 4:07:33. Two SA girls beat her – Riana van Niekerk and Durban's Carol Mercer.
Van Niekerk normally skips this race to run Om die Dam 50km in Gauteng but gave it a shot yesterday. The result: a personal best for the event (3:53:09). "I was hoping for top five but this is great," she said. "The wind was really bad and I thought I'd be blown off the road at one stage. To be the first local is brilliant. I'll party tonight for sure!"
Mercer ended with 4:05:23 and Mentoor clocked 4:07:33. Capetonians Ursula Frans took eighth (4:08:36) and Leanne Juul was the final gold medallist with 4:13:37.
This article was written by Mark Etheridge and originally published on page 28 of Cape Argus on March 23, 2008.
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