Practice race turns into triumph for star Mfunzi

IN a noble repeat of last month’s 50km Bay Ultra, Bay road-running queen Ntombesintu Mfunzi used the 30km Uitenhage Human Race as a training run on Saturday – but ended on the winners podium.

“I was using the race as part of my training for the Two Oceans [March 30 and 31],” Mfunzi said.

“My coach instructed me to run a controlled effort and not to dig into my reserve pool so that I can recover quickly for the Oceans”.

Mfunzi’s timing was spot on – as she maintained a four-minute kilometre pace to win in 2:00.03, beating Western Province visitors Zintle Xiniwe and Bulelwa Simae to the finish line at the Derek Ferreira Rugby Stadium in Rosedale.

In the men’s category, visitor Nkosinathi Madyo finished first in 1:38.53, which was well outside the record set by Melikhaya Frans, of Ikhamva Athletics Club, who set the road-running scene alight last year with a shock win over favourite Lusapho April.

The April camp took to social media and alleged that the victory was suspicious.

Frans proved his critics wrong with stunning performances in the Two Oceans and South African marathon championships.

The Human Race was the first of the Legacy Project runs, presented by EP Athletics in partnership with the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

Results: Senior men: Nkosinathi Madyo (Itheko WP) 1:38.53, Kabelo Melamu (KPMG) 1:39.04, Amos Nyongo (Motherwell) 1:39.19. Senior women: Ntombesintu Mfunzi (Nedbank) 2:00.03, Zintle Xiniwe (KPMG) 2:02.07, Bulelwa Simae ( Nedbank WP) 2:05.14. Junior men: Anele Voorman (Nedbank) 1:57.36, Luxolo Shushu (Born2Run) 2:03.35, Tendai Amin (Youth FC AC) 2:40.02.

THE weekend’s top parkrun finishers were: Sardinia Bay: Men – Tcharle Banda 22:04. Women – Bianca Vermaak van Eck 26:30. Lady Slipper: Men – Lebohang Senti 24:07, women – Victoria Niehuis 35:24 Jeffreys Bay: Men – Martin de Bruin 20:55. Women – Wilmien van Biljon 24:06