Hat-trick victory for Mokwalakwala
Shouts of excitement filled the arena as third-time winner, William Mokwalakwala, crossed the finish line at the Sasol Marathon in Sasolburg.
William Mokwalakwala
Defending his reign for the third consecutive run, Mokwalakwala registered a finish time of 2:18:36, which was an improvement of the 2:21:13 that he recorded in 2014. He goes down in the record books as the second runner to complete the race in under 2:20:00 in the history of the Sasol Marathon. The other was Brighton Chipere, current record holder and winner of the Sasol Marathon in 2011 with a time of 02:16:15.
On winning the Sasol Marathon for the third time, Mokwalakwala said, “I came into the race with one goal in mind – to complete the race in less than 2:20:00, beating that target feels amazing!”
“The Sasol Marathon is a perfect Comrades Marathon qualifier, it helps me ascertain my fitness levels and record some of my best times, due to the flat route. From here I’m off to Lesotho to train vigorously for the 2015 Comrades.”
Mokwalakwala has 10 Comrades Marathon medals to his name, having achieved his best time of 5:39:29 in 2014, where he was placed 8th.
Coming in moments after Mokwalakwala was Sechaba Buhosi who completed the race in a time of 02:21:46, while the bronze medal went to Odwa Tunyiswa, who came in at 2:21:48.
Attracting approximately 2 500 runners, today’s run marked the 21st annual Sasol Marathon. Entrants braved the 42.2 km full marathon, 21.1 km half marathon, 10 km race and 4.9 km fun run/walk. This is a significant increase from last year’s 1 400 entrants.
In the female category, it was Yolande Maclean’s turn to lead the pack, completing the race in an impressive 2:46:51, breaking the record set in 2010 by just over a minute.
Following closely was Gladys Lukhawareni with a time of 3:02:49 while Prudence Zwane secured the third place spot for coming in at 3:02:55.
“After a six year absence from the race, to come back to win the race is a massive accomplishment. The Sasol Marathon is an excellent qualifier for other races as well and has helped record good race times for the Two Oceans Marathon,” shared Maclean.
For the past 21 years, the Sasol Marathon has brought the Sasolburg community together to enjoy a great line-up of endurance races for all athletes and a host of activity for the entire family to participate in.
“We were thrilled with the response to this year’s event. Making a positive impact in the community of Sasolburg is of great importance for us. Many years later, it’s great to see the community come out in its numbers to enjoy a day of camaraderie and sport. Most importantly we are proud to host an event of this standard,” shared Vusi Cwane, Vice President: Public and Regulatory Affairs for Sasolburg Operations.
Hosted at the DP de Villiers Stadium in Sasolburg, the annual Sasol Marathon is a Comrades and Two Oceans Marathon qualifier and a worthwhile event for serious athletes to compete in.
