RUNNER from KwaZulu-Natal, Sphamandla Nkosi, considers it a good start for him to enter the first ten in the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon race of 56km which he started running on Saturday, in Cape Town.
Arhur Jantjies of the Pan African Resources Running Club won the race in 3:09:25, second was Onalenna Khonkhobe in 3:10:00, third was Blessing Waison from Zimbabwe in 3:11:13.
For women it was Gerda Steyn of Hollywood Athletics Club in 3:27:43, second was Margaret Jepchumba from Kenya, third was Nobukhoshi Tshuma from Zimbabwe in 3:38:34.
Steyn won the 56km distance race for the seventh time and she is the one who still holds the record of 3:26:54 for women which she recorded in 2024.
Nkosi (30) from Entsika Athletics Club placed sixth in Two Oceans with a time of 3:12:42.
This runner from Makheni, Dumbe, who won the Best of the Best Marathon for a distance of 42km in Durban, in March, is among the three runners from KwaZulu-Natal who entered the first ten in this race in Cape Town.
Siboniso Sikhakhane from Madadeni, Newcastle, who runs for Entsika Athletics Club, took seventh place with a time of 3:12:42, Msawenkosi Mthalane from Sweewaters, Pietermaritzburg, who runs for Nedbank Running Club, took tenth place with 3:13:32.
Although they managed to win the race, these KZN runners came away with R30 000, R23 000 and R12 000 respectively.
“Although my goal was to enter the first five, but it means a lot to me to get sixth place in Two Oceans for the first time, this encourages me to come back next year and fight to win this race.
“Now I know the route of this race and its challenges so I will definitely come back next year with a better understanding of the challenge I will be facing in this race,” said Nkosi who is coached by Andries Taleng from Lesotho.
The last runner from KwaZulu-Natal to win the Two Oceans Marathon, is Bongumusa Mthembu, who won the race in 2019, with a time of 3:80:40.
And Nkosinathi Mhlakwana and Sikhakhane are the ones who almost won the race in 2022 and 2025, finishing second respectively.
“Our entry into the first ten as runners from KwaZulu-Natal is an encouragement to us that one of us is close to winning this race.
“After Two Oceans, I’m looking at the Durban International Marathon but I’ll hear my body if it agrees.
“But the Comrades Marathon, no, I’m not ready to run it yet, maybe in the next five years, not now.”
The Durban International Marathon of 42.2km will be run in Durban, on May 3.