Cape Town’s most prestigious race, the Old Mutual Two Oceans Ultra Marathon, took a considerable number of Lowvelders athletes on a spectacular course around the Cape Peninsula this past weekend.

The ultra is 56 kilometres, begins in Newlands and ends at the University of Cape Town’s rugby fields in Rondebosch after winding through Fish Hoek, over  *Chapman’s Peak Drive, via Hout Bay and over Constantia Nek.

Legogote Villagers’ Moris Maiga and Madeleine Whitehair of Run/Walk for Life were among these athletes and both put up a great performance.
Maiga, who ran his fourth marathon this year, ran his personal best time of three hours and 49 minutes to become the 74th runner among 12 081 to cross the finish line. What is more, he took 16th place in his age category among a quality field of top local and international elite athletes who took part.

Maiga, who is very pleased with his time ahead of the Comrades Marathon, which he wishes to run in sub-six hours, said his arduous training paid off. “It was an amazing race. Setting a new personal best time was something I trained exceptionally hard for. I am in good shape,” he said. The 44-year-old was the fastest runner of the local clubs at the Two Oceans.

Whitehair was the fastest female runner among the local clubs, despite running her first Two Oceans this year. “*It was disappointing that the route had to be changed to Ou Kaapse Weg due to protest action, and we couldn’t run Chapman’s Peak, but I am very pleased nonetheless,” she said. Of the 3 484 women who ran the ultra, Whitehair took the 187th spot, and came 61st in her category, 40-49, with her time of 5:09.

Nelspruit Marathon Club runner, Dr Moses Goodman Maleni dedicated the race to his brother, Mbophe Maleni, who passed away a week before the race. It was his second Two Oceans, which he ran in 07:18. “I was also running for all the people who, due to their conditions, could not,” he said.

Attie Krüger said he was disappointed that the water ran out on the route, and about the route change. “I ran about 15 kilometres without water, but I still managed to finish,” he said. He will be back next year to try and get his medal.

“I’m a teacher, student and a runner at heart. I’ve always wanted to do the Two Oceans Marathon and what an honour it is to be part of this amazing event when it is celebrating its 50-year anniversary,” Bongi Magagula of Gijima Nkomazi said.

Also from Legogote, Jonathan Tombs, a 52-year-old man, completed his seventh Two Oceans ultra in a time of 06:19.