LIMPOPO – Giyani Gallopers Athletics Club once again featured among the top performers at the Nedbank Spring Opener Half-Marathon, held recently at Unicorn Preparatory School in Tzaneen.

Young athlete Xichavo Mdaka led the way for the Gallopers, taking first place in the 5km race with a winning time of 23:27, at a pace of 04:42 p/km.

Monakisi shines in the women’s field

In the women’s 10km race, Beryl Monakisi claimed silver in the 50–59 age category and finished seventh overall, crossing the line in 59:20 at a pace of 05:56 p/km.

Hills prove a challenge for Gallopers’ men

The Gallopers’ men also delivered strong performances, with Risima Chabalala and Advocate Chauke finishing fourth and fifth respectively, both recording a time of 37:20.

Chauke told the Herald he had hoped to finish in 35 minutes, but the hilly terrain added just over two minutes to his time.

“Between the 3km and 5km the route had a lot of hills, and that was a bit challenging, but we loved everything about the race,” he said.

Nkuna praises growth of the event

Nedbank Running Club Limpopo chairperson Timothy Nkuna praised the local organising committee for their hard work and teamwork, saying the event had grown significantly.

“We have improved a lot from last year’s event; this year we had 707 athletes who registered and ran. We plan to grow the event even bigger, and we’re urging businesses willing to sponsor us to get in touch with the club so we can take this event to even greater heights,” he said.

Full results across the categories

In the overall standings, Nedbank Running Club Limpopo’s Given Makgoba won the men’s 21km in 01:12:15, while Kenyan runner Roseline Isaiah took the women’s title in 01:30:26. In the 10km category, clubmate Isaac Moshia won the men’s race in 32:29, while Matlou Phaho of Masai Athletics Club claimed the women’s title in 45:15.