Moris Maiga wins 50-59 years category at Two Oceans
The Bella's Athletics Club runner finished the race in 03:40:16 to bring the 50-59 years title back to Mbombela.
Moris Maiga of Bella’s Athletics Club won the 50-59 years male category at the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultramarathon in Cape Town on Saturday April 13.
The Ugandan was in a class of his own, taking the title in 03:40:16, the fastest time of the 1 461 athletes running in the 50-59 age category.
Maiga had taken the lead in his age group by the 5km mark and remained the leading man until the finish line of the 56km ultra-marathon. He was placed 40th overall in the men’s race.
It was Maiga’s first year competing in the 50-59 category.
The second 50-59 athlete to cross the finish line was Nkhetheni Masupa of Team Vitality (Central Gauteng) in 03:43:23, three minutes slower than Maiga.
The Bella’s athlete had pre-race confidence that the 2024 race was going to be special.
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“I am a strong believer in number seven; it’s a number of perfection. This was my seventh Two Oceans. I had a witness in my heart that I was going to do well. When the race started, I was a bit behind. I saw a 50-59 man peeling away, so I had to wait for a while. Then after 4km I saw the other runner decreasing speed and I passed him towards the 5km split.
“I kept pushing. Then, at 10km, I saw marshals taking down my race number and I knew the race was on. People continued shouting: ‘You are number one in 50-59!’ The rest, like they say, is history.
“I am so grateful to God for the grace, my club, Bella’s, my sponsors and my fellow runners from Mpumalanga clubs. Winning my age category is quite crazy, and doing it in an international race is unbelievable. I will cherish this forever. History has been written,” Maiga told Lowvelder on Tuesday April17.
The first Lowveld-based male runner to complete the Two Oceans was Professa Mthethwa of the City of Mbombela Marathon Club. He was the 23rd senior man and the 30th man overall to finish the race in a time of 03:33:25.
Mthethwa paced himself exceptionally well. At the 5km mark he was in overall position 62. He had moved up in the field to 47th at the 14km mark, and to 43rd at the 28km split. With 6km to go Mthethwa was placed 33, but pushed to be the 30th man over the finish line.
The first Lowveld female athlete to complete the 2024 Two Oceans was Segwana Tladi of Bella’s Athletics Club. Her time was 04:17:46. She finished 130th overall and 75th in the senior female category.
