Mayhem at heroes marathon in East London
Winner annoyed the police escort vehicle drove into last stretch
There was drama at the finish line of the Heroes Marathon in the Eastern Cape as the metro police car escorting the athletes drove into the finishing stretch with the lead runner, blocking photographers and TV crews from capturing the climax of the race, much to the annoyance of the winner Bonginkosi Zwane.
Zwane bettered last year’s winning time of 2:26:20 by four minutes to storm across the finish line in an impressive time of 2:22:40, albeit on a very difficult route. The 27-year-old lanky Boxer Athletics Club runner took the lead from secondplaced Ramolefi Motsieloa from Lesotho with 5km to go and held on for the victory to claim the winning prize, a car worth R150 000.
The race, in honour of Nelson Mandela, started outside his house in Qunu where he is buried and finished at Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha. From the start of the race the runners were in for a difficult day ahead as they climbed relentlessly from the start.
“The route was very tough but I prepared for this race. I knew I stood a good chance of winning because my competitors ran a lot of marathons this year while I just prepared for this one,” Zwane said. The man from Newcastle has his eyes set on qualifying for the SA cross-country team to take part in the World Championship next year.
“I will rest for a week and then start preparing for the SA cross-country trials in Pretoria next year,” said Zwane. Fresh from winning the Mandela Remembrance Walk and Run halfmarathon race in Pretoria last week, 34-year-old Mamoralo Tjoka from Lesotho won the women’s race in a time of 2:57:16, beating Makhosi Mhlongo who came second in 2:57:48.
Xolisani Zamkele and Ntombesintu Mpunzi won sponsored trips to participate in the Hannover Marathon in Germany in April for being the first male and female runner from the province to finish the race.
The 21km race, won by Khoaraulane Seutloali and Nwabisa Mjoli respectively, started near the home of the late former long distance and South African champion Zithulele Sinqe who died in a car crash in 2011.
I knew I stood a good chance of winning the marathon