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MBABANE – Zethu Bhembe celebrated her milestone of completing the 50th parkrun during the 204th edition of the Mbabane Parkrun.
The run was held at Mbabane Club on Saturday. Bhembe was part of the 77 park runners, who came and participated in the event which is held every Saturday, which saw it recording the highest second number of participants post the COVID-19 era. This was the highest attendance since the parkrun was reopened at the 200th event on January 28, 2023. At least 104 parkrunners attended that event.
Bhembe began her parkrun journey on November 17, 2018 at the Mbabane Parkrun, where she set a time of 39:01 minutes and finished on position 49. Her current personal best (PB) is 27:39 minutes, which she set on September 14, 2019.
She has set new PB times on nine separate occasions. Mbabane Parkrun Event Organiser Neil Robinson congratulated Bhembe on her achievement and thanked her for choosing Mbabane Parkrun to celebrate her milestone. “We look forward to parkrunning with you in future,” Robinson briefly said.
First
Coming back to the event, Swazi Slojo’s athlete Mduduzi Dlamini was back after missing edition 203 for the Resolution Run, which was held at Mlilwane and was the first runner home as he finished the 5km course in a time of 17:33 minutes. This brought his tally of first place finishes to 34, with his all-time PB time for the Mbabane Parkrun course at 15:56 minutes. Pushing Dlamini all the way was another Swazi Slojo’s runner, Sibusiso Shabangu, who came second in a time of 17:39 minutes. On the latter’s heels was third-placed runner James Matse in a time of 17:44 minutes.
In the ladies category, Phiwokuhle Bulunga continued to stamp her authority at the Mbabane Parkrun as she was the first lady home in a time of 22:18 minutes and finished 14th overall. This now brings her tally of first place finishes to 18. Bulunga is now the second most decorated runner. She is one run shy from UNESWA’s Gcinile Magongo’s
Mduduzi Dlamini Sibusiso Shabangu James Matse
Unknown
Ntando Mthimkhulu Vusi Sibandze Unknown
Unknown
Mbongizizwe Ngubani Sakhile Zwane Nkosikhona Nxumalo Avite Mbabazi Unknown
Phiwokuhle Bulunga Devin Bauermeister Nokuphiwa Zwane Fezile Ndlovu
Roy Chirwa
Gcinile Magongo Sandziso Tsela Mlandvo Ntshalintshali Sibuyiselwe Zwane Thandokuhle Shongwe Calisile Mthethwa Xolani Ngcamphalala Khalid Sebbie Du Pont Bathandwa Mavuso Gilbert Girinshuti Sibusiso Nhlabatsi Nhlanhla Maseko Gcabho Tsabedze Charles Bethel
Lesley Foss
Chris Morgan
Unknown
Unknown
Gavin Moir
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Unknown 17:33 17:39 17:44
18:43 18:45
20:30 20:37 21:25 21:49
22:18 22:23 23:32 23:58 24:16 24:38 24:54 24:59 25:23 25:53 26:30 28:08 29:02 29:04 30:13 30:14 30:38 30:38 32:18 32:28 32:29
36:03
record and seven behind Gugu Mthembu who has 24.
The second lady to reach the winning point was Nokuphiwa Zwane, who clocked 23:32
Unknown
Menzi Tsela
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Unknown
Unknown
Qiniso Sibiya
Busi Gallie
Brett Gallie Lomathemba Bhembe Patrick Mkhonta
James Bethel
Yusuf Bhaiyat
Unknown S. Nurcombe-Thorne Evan Nurcombe-Thorne Unknown
Betty Herbslet Thembisile Mhlanga Angeline Flemix
Susan Meggitt-Nxumalo Scotty Pierce
Unknown
Khujo Manan Sabusiswa Manana Thelma Bethel
Unknown
Unknown
Bongani Manana Unknown
John Carew
Unknown
Mary Mardall
Trish Reid
Unknown
Lean Drinkwater
Karen Cooper
Katherine Moir
Unknown 37:53 41:35 42:08 42:37 44:46 44:46 45:02 45:12
46:23 46:28
47:46 49:04 49:20 49:57 51:15
51:54 53:53 54:40
54:48 59:09
59:39 59:40
1:01:02 1:04:10 1:04:19
minutes which was her new personal best. Completing the top three was Gcinile Magongo, who completed the course in a time of 24:38 minutes.