Gatebe on cloud nine

As Gatebe moved into the lead on Chapman’s Peak in Cape Town on Saturday, he knew the hard, specific sessions he had put in to replicate the drop into Hout Bay, followed by the gruelling 9km climb up to Constantia, had been worthwhile.

“It was something my coach, David Adams, and I had worked on with my training partners,” Gatebe said after winning the race in three hours, eight minutes, 54 seconds (3:08:54).

“I decided to focus on Two Oceans after finishing third in the City to City (50km race) last year.”
Kenya Henry Kipsan was his sole challenge on the climb, but it was the group of 11 runners who provided the chase once over the Nek. Lesotho runners dominated the chase but Gatebe was well clear and running strongly through to UCT where he took the tape in 3:08:54.

“With 9km to go I worked out that I needed to run 3:15 per km, and I knew from my training I could do that,” said Getebe who looked as though he had only finished the half marathon. “My planning started after my third place in City to City and now I’m going to concentrate on Comrades.”

Western Province’s Mthandazo Qhina proved the best of the rest, but was so far adrift that he thought he had won the event when he crossed the line in 3:10:02. It was an impressive improvement for the talented 25-year-old who was sixth last year.

Moeketsi Mosuhli led home a quintet of Lesotho runners for third place in 3;10:23 with Collen Makaza the first Zimbabwean in fourth and his fellow countryman Mike Fokoroni closing the top ten in 3:13:29.

Gatebe’s capture of the lead was so effective, after tearing away from Kenyan Henry Kipsang, that fellow South African Qhina believed he had moved to the front of the field with four kilometres remaining when he whittled down the last of the chasing group.

Qhina powered to the line to finish in 3:10:02, believing he had won the Cape’s most prestigious ultra-marathon.
It was only in discussion on his way to the media tent that his perceptions were corrected, but the smile on his face did not falter, as it was still the largest pay-day of his career.
Moeketsi Mosuhli, the first of five Lesotho runners to bag gold medals for finishing among the top 10, completed the men’s podium in 3:10:23.

Meanwhile, Natalia Volgina strode to her second Two Oceans victory, and her first in 11 years.
The Russian, who also won the women’s race in 2002, took line honours in 3:38:38 – only 36 seconds slower than her previous victory. — AFP.