Mthembu does it again
Ashworth also wins to make it a happy day for SA
The body may not have shown it, but it was the grimace on the faces of Bong’musa Mthembu and Ann Ashworth that gave away the pain the duo endured in ensuring that the Comrades Marathon titles remained on these shores.
Some gave up the fight and only the mentally strong like Mthembu and Ashworth held on to pick up their gold in the down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban yesterday.
“To run the Comrades is not easy – experience won it for me,” said Mthembu, whose feat made him the second local man to win back-to-back Comrades since Bruce Fordyce in 1988.
The Arthur Ford Athletics Club runner also cited experience and the know-how of winning the race as key to completing a trio of titles after his other triumphs in 2014 and last year.
“I know how to win the Comrades and I’m glad I was able to own the race as the guys were going with a crazy pace, especially [Marco] Mambo,” said Mthembu at a press briefing.
Asked how he would celebrate his latest victory, which he attained in 5:26:34, he responded like a true champion.
“I do it for the love of sport and that’s what drives me.
“I’ll celebrate when I retire,” he said to much laughter inside the Moses Mabhida Stadium press conference room.
Mthembu made his breakthrough at Cowies Hill, regarded as a critical point that separates contenders from pretenders with 18km to go.
At this point he left the rest of the pack to jostle for the remaining berths and Joseph Mphuthi followed.
The biggest surprise in the group was Edward Mothibi, who nailed down fourth spot on his Comrades debut as South African men went on to occupy seven places in the Top 10 Men Women
1 Ann Ashworth (6:10:04); 2 Gerda Steyn (6:15:34); 3 Alexandra Morozova, Russia (6:20:21);
4 Tanith Maxwell (6:20:35); 5 Charne Bosman (6:33:08) 6 Sophia Sundberg, Sweden, (6:45;24);
7 Devon Yanko, USA (6:47:44); 8 Sarah Bard, USA, (6:49:05); 9 Carla Molinaro, GBR (6:50:31);
10 Yolande McLean (6:52:16)
‘‘ I do it for the love of sport and that’s what drives me
top 10.
Meanwhile, Ashworth and her runnner-up Gerda Steyn conceded that the pace was fast.
“I don’t think anything could have gone better for me today,” said Ashworth, who cut the tape in 6:10:04.
“I’ll sacrifice anything for this race, including my job, which, if I don’t work, I won’t get any money.”