WONDERFUL WASHIE
Records are skittles in EC’s favourite race
Records abounded at the 2018 ELB Washie 100 in respect of entries, finishes, novices, men and women.
Time records were not forthcoming in respect of race records, although being a new, albeit temporary, route all winning and category time automatically became records.
The men's race was very much one-sided, while the women's race was a two-filly affair.
Lucky Maahlo of Pietersburg Road Runners came into the event a novice, but led from start to finish, winning in a very respectable14:10:07.
Some might say Maahlo in fact had a huge advantage as he comes out of Johan van der Merwe's stable of ultra marathon runners.
Van der Merwe has won Washie five times in the past, setting the race record at his first attempt. He wanted to bring one of his top ultra men down to race, but four of them were not available for various reasons.
Maahlo, who has only been running for a little over two years, was not a consideration, until Van der Merwe's son JJ suggested giving him a chance, based on the fact that he had run a track 100 miler in March, where he had no idea where he was for most of the event, but finished strongly.
So with 10 days to the Washie, Van der Merwe sat down with Maahlo in his small spaza shop. He had no hesitation at all and embraced the idea.
A 2:36 marathoner with a 6:50 Comrades in 2017, he started the race, in cold wet conditions, somewhat tentatively in 3:23:55 at the quarter mark. This was however a full 18:20 ahead of joint third-placed Mcebisi Yose, the 2016 winner and his All Stars club mate, Siyabonga Lele and 12:01 ahead of SANDF Western Province runner, Morale Piloso.
The gap would steadily increase through the stages in the build up to a largely unchallenged run.
In an interview, Maahlo said: “I loved the race, the course, everything.”
Meanwhile, the All Stars team of two sailed past Piloso to capture second and third.
Multiple women's winner, Meg Davey from Johannesburg, led the race at the quarter-way and halfway check points, though in the second stanza the lead over Evette Watson of Maluti Multi Sport, had been cut from 16:06 to just 5:12.
Come the three-quarter mark Watson had forged into the lead which she had built up to a massive 33:51.
Watson went on to win comfortably in 18:26:35. Davey was second in 19:05:49.
Rinaldi Botes from Irene captured third with a time of 19:43:45.
Meanwhile, one of the many characters on the road Mbuso Ngcongo from Somandla Sports Club ran the entire 100 miles barefoot. He experienced no blistering which he put down to the freezing road conditions early on in the race. Ngcongo was doctored with duct tape by some locals and made it to the finish in great spirits.