Molotsane looking for a ‘legit’ win in 10K

AFTER six years at Green Point, significant construction work along the Sea Point Promenade has ruled out the sea-side venue and the 20 000 plus entrants will head north to the Bellville Stadium for the season opener in the SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge series.

Quantity is likely to be unaffected, with record fields predicted, although a clash with the World Half Marathon Championships in Spain this weekend and a number of injuries have impacted on the quality up front.

Home favourite, Nolene Conrad, will be plying her trade for her country in Spain tomorrow, along with Cornelia Joubert, 2015 Cape Town SPAR winner Mapeseka Makhanya, multi-podium achiever, Lebogang Phalula, and Jenet Dlamini, while nine times winner of the Cape Town leg, Rene Kalmer, is again fighting injury, following her come-back race at the Cape Peninsula Marathon last month, and is an unlikely start tomorrow.

Nonetheless, competition will again be fierce up front with four of the last six winners likely to be at the start line, although with 2016 winner, Irvette van Zyl, six months pregnant, the race appears likely to be decided from one of the other three – Zimbab- wean Ruteno Nyahora (2013 winner), Lebo Phalula (2014) and last year’s winner, 25-year-old track star, Kesa Molotsane.

While boasting the 2017 title, Molotsane was not first across the line in Green Point twelve months ago, with 39- year- old Louisa Leballo a surprise winner, before a positive drug test resulted in an eight year ban for the veteran and the transference of the title to Molotsane, who achieved her personal best time of 32 min 59 sec.

Should Molotsane win tomorrow, she will break a six year cycle for the Cape Town race, which delivered a different winner each year. Ironically, this followed another six year period of complete domination by a single athlete – Rene Kalmer – who has bagged a total of no fewer than nine Cape Town titles.

Race charity, Operation Smile, an organisation which facilitates cleft palate operations free of charge to children around South Africa whose parents are unable to afford the operation, stands to benefit significantly from the race.

Three separate races follow similar routes tomorrow and all start and finish at the Bellville Stadium. The 10km run gets underway at 07h00, the 10km walk at 07h30 with the 5km fun run/walk off at 08h00.