Bubb illuminates women’s half-marathon at Old Eds Race
She won the race in 01:28:30 in her first race after her winter break.
After a refreshing winter break, Kaitlyn Bubb is bursting with excitement following her victorious return to the road at the Old Eds Road Race in Johannesburg on August 10.
The Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) top runner clocked 01:28:30 to win the women’s half-marathon, beating Nedbank’s Ilse Marais, who finished 01:13 behind in 01:29:42. Ubora’s Renata Vosloo rounded out the podium in 01:29:50.
“I’m thrilled to be back racing after a well-deserved winter break. Personally, I believe continuous racing year-round is unsustainable, as the first half of the year is filled with intense competition and pressure to meet goals,” said Bubb.
Before her break, she had a stellar first half of the year. She started with fifth place at the Varsity Kudus 15km race in early January, paving the way for a stunning runner-up finish at the Johnson Crane Marathon later that month.
She took another well-deserved second place in the Balwin Jeppe Marathon women’s 10km in February. She grabbed a second place at the TRACN4 Elands half-marathon in March before finishing 23rd at the Totalsports Two Oceans 21.1km in April, clocking 01:26:52.
Bubb went from bridesmaid to champion in May when she clocked a blistering 01:22:42 to win the women’s race at the Hoka Half Run Fest in Pretoria, finishing sixth overall.
After a break filled with rest and recovery, Bubb is thrilled to be back on the road. She said the return marks not just a comeback but a celebration of resilience, passion and the unstoppable spirit that drives her forward.
“During this break, I maintained a strong base focusing on shorter, faster runs rather than high mileage, which I could feel in my legs in the last few kilometres of today’s race,” she said.
She is training towards the Hollywoodbets 10km in Durban on August 30.
“My focus for the rest of the year is to work on more speed, which should help improve my times for next season.”
Meanwhile, former Northerns long-distance runner Bright Mikolongwe – now with Nedbank – finished fourth in the men’s half-marathon with a time of 01:11:44.
The race was won by his Nedbank teammate Lucky Mohale in 01:07:54, with Maxed Elite’s Lesetja Papo crossing the line three seconds later. Nedbank’s Kabelo Melamu secured the last podium position in 01:09:34.
