Lutendo Mapoto leads PMC to marathon glory
Lutendo Mapoto shines at the Makoro Village Marathon with a 2:23:42 finish, following his 10km victory and aiming for Comrades Marathon entry.
PHALABORWA – Lutendo Mapoto is enjoying a remarkable start to 2026, securing another major title just three weeks after his previous victory.
The PMC Athletics Club runner claimed first place in the men’s 42.2km race at the Makoro Village Marathon on Saturday, March 28.
Dominant performance at Makoro Marathon
Mapoto dominated the field, crossing the finish line in 02:23:42 at an average pace of 3:25 per kilometre.
He was followed by Alvis Tau of Maxed Elite, who finished second in 02:25:11.
Third place went to Kenyan runner Samuel Njunguna of Nedbank Running Club International, who completed the race in 02:26:08.
Mapoto told the Herald that he was satisfied with his performance and relieved to redeem himself after last year’s disappointment.
“My plan going into the race was to win and improve on last year, when I finished fourth,” he said.
“I made the mistake of starting too fast last year, trying to win from the gun. By the middle of the race, I was exhausted and got overtaken.”
Back-to-back victories in 2026
Mapoto’s recent success follows his victory in the 10km race at the Spar Tzaneen Tuffy 4-in-1 Marathon last month.
Competing in the event for the first time, he won in 35:47 at an average pace of 3:33 per kilometre.
He said the race marked an important milestone in his return to competition after recovering from injury.
“I entered the Tuffy to test whether the stress fracture I suffered in 2024 had fully healed,” he said. “I also used it as part of my training, so winning was a bonus.”
Eyeing Comrades Marathon entry
Despite entries for this year’s Comrades Marathon selling out within 10 hours, with all 22 000 slots filled, Mapoto remains hopeful of securing a substitution entry and lining up for the iconic race in June.
PMC teammate Mgiba impresses too
Meanwhile, another PMC Athletics Club runner, Julient Mgiba, also delivered a strong performance at the Makoro Village Marathon, finishing in 02:54:27 in the men’s marathon.
Mgiba said he was pleased to have achieved his goal of finishing under three hours.
“Makoro was a tough race,” he said.
“I arrived two minutes late at the start, so I had to work hard to catch up.
“Overall, I’m happy with my time.”
Mgiba added that his next target is the Mall of the North marathon in Polokwane on April 19, where he hopes to produce another strong run.
