Maria Shai and Sakhile Sangweni secured their first Benoni Northerns Night Race, sponsored by Jan L Jordan Attorneys, titles as hundreds of runners lit up and washed the streets of Benoni and Rynfield with colour on October 21.

Shai, fresh from an incredible fifth place at the ASA 10km championships in Potchefstroom on October 18, managed to break clear of the rest of the field to take the women’s title in 37:27.

“I’m happy with the win because I’ve been training hard. I’m slowly returning to my best after maternity. Like I said to you previously, this is all part of my preparation for next year’s Two Oceans and Comrades ultras and the Kit Kat Marathon in Pretoria,” said Shai.

The Daveyton resident, a 35:02 10km runner at her best, praised the Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) for what she described as a well-organised race.

“It’s my first time participating in this night race. I last ran a night race years ago at the Ottosdal Night Race in the North West. I struggled a bit on the road because I couldn’t see most of the speed humps due to the darkness. This forced me to focus. Otherwise it was well-organised and the water tables and support on the route were second to none,” she said.

The Boxer AC athlete’s Central Gauteng teammate Casey Bosman of UJ was 01:07 adrift in second place, while Hoërskool Kempton Park junior middle-distance sensation Mikayla du Toit, third in the U16 girls’ 4km at the recent South African Schools Athletics (SASA) cross-country championships, completed the podium in 40:34.

Bosman, who helped CGA secure the senior women’s 10km team gold at the ASA cross-country championships last month alongside Shai, Samantha Coetzer and Cacisile Sosibo, admitted it wasn’t easy running in the dark but said the vibe on the route kept her going.

Also Read: Roelofse siblings glow in the dark at the Benoni Northerns Night Race

“When you run, you obviously want to finish first but I’m happy with the season I’ve had. It’s the longest I’ve had in a couple of years. I’m really happy with the progress. I’m happy that I pushed hard. It’s not easy running in the dark but I made it possible. The vibe was so nice. Benonians really got us going,” she said.

In the men’s contest, Inkamana AC’s Sangweni, winner of this year’s Colgate Race at Boksburg Stadium, faced little challenge, clocking 31:49 to cut the tape 01:18 ahead of runner-up Markus Delport of UJ.

Delport (33:07) held-off a charging Mpho Shabangu on the home straight as the East Athletic Club athlete settled for third in 33:13.

Sangweni heaped praise on the route, describing it as a course to improve your personal best.

“The course is nice. It’s a personal best course. It’s nice and flat. The challenge was the darkness. Some speed humps were hidden by tree shadows. I was forced to slow down as a result. But it’s a nice course. Anyone who wants to improve their 10km best must come here,” he said.

In the 5km fun run, Ethan Waldeck of Jeppe Quondam won the men’s race in 16:34, while Irun AC’s Megan Ann Roberts, winner of the Tommy Malone Memorial road Race 7.5km fun run two weeks ago, clocked 18:57 to clinch the women’s title.

Dressed in costumes of different colours, with others sporting headlamps, a total of 986 runners of all fitness levels completed the 10km race; while over 2 100 glowed in the dark in the 5km run.

Also Read: In pictures: Benoni Northerns Night Race sponsored by Jan L Jordaan Attorneys