adminAfrican Claude Moshiywa yesterday.
Muzhingi, who was chasing his fourth win in five years, clinched the last gold medal in the men’’s race after crossing the line in 10th position in 5hrs:52min: 37sec, more than 20 minutes behind the winner.
The top 10 men and women in the race receive gold medals.
Another Zimbabwean Mike Fokorani (5:50:11) made the top 10 with an eighth place finish in this 88km ultra-marathon run between Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
This hilly road course’s direction alternates and this year was the “up” run course, starting on the coast in Durban and finishing higher up inland at Pietermaritzburg for a total of just over a double marathon distance.
Muzhingi last won the title in 2011 and yesterday was literally defending the “up” run. Despite the disappointing finish, the Zimbabwean was satisfied with his showing following a low-key build-up to the race, in which was also hampered by a calf injury.
The 33-year old runner severed ties with the Durban North-based Formula 1 Bluff Meats Athletic Club coached by Cliff Chinasammy after he finished sixth in last year’s “down run”.
Yesterday Muzhingi was hoping to duplicate his 2011 performance which brought him the memorable hat-trick.
“I’’ve been running in pain and to do as well as I did is very satisfying,” he said.
“I think I put up a good fight to try and defend my title.”
This year’s winner Moshiywa romped home in five hours, 32 minutes, 08 seconds (5:32:08) more than nine minutes clear of Sweden’’s Jonas Buud, who produced a strong finish to take second place.
Mpesela Ntlosoeu of Lesotho finished third, a further two minutes behind while defending champion Ludwick Mamabolo was fourth(5:45.48).
Earlier on, Zimbabwean Moses Njodzi, who won the Two Oceans Marathon in 2006, had emerged as the first real contender, opening a one-and-a-half minute lead at the halfway mark, as he charged through Drummond in two hours, 40 minutes.
Njodzi (6:45:45) who eventually finished a disappointing 71st, faded quickly, as he struggled up the steep Inchanga climb in the early stages of the second half, and he was shown a clean pair of heels by Moshiywa, Kekana, Fokorani and little known Rufus Photo.
Photo fell behind soon after, and Fokorani held on for a few kilometres before he too dropped back, leaving the South African duo to break clear after more than three hours on the road.
Kekana, a former All-Africa Games marathon champion, slowly slipped back, and Moshiywa was eventually left on his own with a little less than 25km remaining.
The women’’s race, meanwhile, was again dominated by Russian twins Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva. There was no Zimbabwean in the top 10 as Elena maintained her stranglehold, extending her dominance with an eighth victory in 6:27.08 while her sister Olesya finished second in 6:28.06. Fellow Russian Irina Antropova took third place in 6:44.36. – Sports Reporter/Sapa
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