Cumakala 10 and 32km run deliver three new race records
The third running of the annual Cumakala 10km and 32km road races from points on the N6 to the finish at the Stutterheim Country Club excitingly produced three new race records with only the women’s 32km record remaining in place.
Neither of the races are easy given an overall uphill gain from start to finish in both events.
The 10km was the more interesting race given that the men’s record had been held by Malixole Kalideni, in 35 minutes, 14 seconds.
He has recently returned from the London Marathon and is preparing for the South African Half Marathon Championships so it would have come as a surprise to the opposition that he chose to race the 32km — which he went on to win in another record time.
What this meant was an opportunity for someone to follow in his footsteps in the 10km event, and Khanya Yali of Brac did not only that, but also won comfortably and set a new race record of 33:53.
Real Gijimas runner Bayanda Gaga finished second in 35:37, with Siyamamkela Kolisi of the hosts Stutterheim Athletics Club third in 36:51, and Original Mambas’ Bulela Ngcongo fourth in 37:08.
In 2023, Cindy Nel won the race from her Easy Equities Born2run teammate Andrea Ranger, but failed to wrestle the race record set in 2022 from her.
In 2024, she did, however, both win and set a new record of 40:56.
An out-of-sorts Ranger fought hard nonetheless and finished second in 44:09, with the first junior Bukho Breakfast of Brac third, and Stutterheim’s Ayla Newmarch fourth, in 47:20 and 56:27, respectively.
The first junior male was
Brac’s Gcinikhaya George in
38:20.
In the 32km, Old Selbornians’ Kalideni won in 1:55:43, which averages at 3:35 per km.
And he set a new race record which previously stood at 2:00:01, and a year earlier was set at 2:05:48.
An improvement of 10:05 in just two years is impressive for the race and the history it is building.
Second in 2024 was Komani AC Runners’ Nkululeko Lekoela, who was also 43 seconds faster than the old record.
Masibulele Tshibo, of Nedbank, came third in 1:59:18, 26 seconds ahead of fourth-placed Andile Ngqangi of Real Gijimas.
The first 40+ male in was Thulani Sidziya from Zwelonke in 2:13:41, with Liam Victor and Colin Bosch, both of Old Selbornians, taking the 50-59 and 60-69 age category races with times of 2:36:03 and 3:14:17 respectively.
In the absence of two-times winner and record holder Siviwe Nomapelana, of Chillie Runners, there was to be no new record for the women, and she maintains her 2:37:21 mark set in 2022.
First across the line on this occasion was Sherelle Smith of Oxford Striders in 2:53:43, while second place went to Carmen Schaefer of Nedbank in 2:55:55, and third to Zuki Sam of MBSA in 3:00:09.
In the age categories, Smith was the first 40+ runner home, Ntomboxolo Mngambi of Original Mambas took the 50+ category, and Sharon Bosch of Old Selbornians the 60+ win.