Terrain unfamiliar – ladies champ

MBABANE – Samkelisiwe Tfwala, the 21km ladies champion, successfully defended her title in her category ahead of 13 other daring runners.

Despite finishing in seventh place overall, her impressive average pace of 5:15 minutes per kilometre allowed her to complete the race in 1:50:24 hours, roughly 29 minutes after Nkosinathi Msibi, who won the race in the men’s 21km category. In her post-race comments, the sub-veteran division athlete noted that the unfamiliar terrain from previous competitions, posed challenges due to its uneven nature, unlike the consistent surface of a tar road. She also remarked on the favourable weather conditions of the race day, highlighting the absence of rain which often leads to slippery terrain in other races. Tfwala expressed her satisfaction with the race day, citing improved running conditions and the captivating scenery of the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.

Slippery

“Today’s (Saturday) race was better in terms of weather compared to the others, because it was not raining, where in other races you find that the terrain slippery, causing us to fall along the route, but today (Saturday) I was able to run well,” she said.

However, she admitted to feeling nervous at times due to unexpected wildlife encounters. When asked about the difference between tar roads and gravel/trail surfaces, Tfwala emphasised that while tar roads can be harsh on the joints, gravel and trail terrains offer a softer and more comfortable running experience for athletes.

“When I saw the wildlife in certain areas of the route, for instance, there was an area where I heard a noise and instantly thought it was a lion, which made me run even faster as I was scared. Otherwise, I had quite an enjoyable time at Mlilwane,” expressed the proud champion.

Samkelisiwe Tfwala succesfully defended her title at the 2024 edition of the Big Game Parks Resolution Run at Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary.

(Pics:Melusi Mkhabela) Sibusiso Shabangu, the 10km champion remarked that the 2024 edition has very little competition, where he cited that there were a few athletes he usually competes against at the Resolution Run, specifically under his category.

Nkosinathi Nkambule, who emerged as the 5km winner, revealed that he was trying his luck, which paid off as he grabbed pole position in 20:50 minutes.