Lim two to take on world’s best

Top South African long distance runners Ludwick Mamabolo and Rufus Photo, both from Limpopo, have been as members of a five man team that will chosen the country at the 100 km World Championship in Spain next month.
They will join Bongmusa Mthembu, David Gatebe and Gift Kelehe under supervision of the country’s best ultramarathon coach John Hamlett. Athletes were selected purely on their outstanding performance in the annual Comrades Marathon with Gatebe being this year’s Comrades winner and Kelehe the top scorer in last year’s Comrades. Mthembu and Mamabolo claimed gold at the 2014 and 2012 Comrades while Photo took fifth position in 2014 and 2016 at the Comrades.
It was well-known athlete and member of Pietersburg Road Runners (PRR) Johan van der Merwe’s idea to enter the country’s top athletes in the championship.
“Early in July it was announced that the 100 km World Championships would take place in Los Alcazares, Spain on 27 November. This immediately caught my attention because I have, for the past three years, been corresponding with Athletics South Africa (Asa) in my ongoing quest to ensure that athletes could represent our country at future ultra-world championships,” Van der Merwe said.
Van der Merwe noticed on social media that Hamlett would accompany Gatebe and Kelehe to a 100 km race in Netherlands but convinced him to cancel the trip and instead accompany the five man team to Spain.
“When I consulted with Photo, Mamabolo and Mthembu they immediately agreed to make themselves available for the team. We have five of the best ultra-runners in South-Africa and one of the best and most successful ultra-distance coaches. On paper these names appeared as a team that could easily secure a first ultra-distance gold medal for our country at an ultra-distance world championship. Following several letters to and correspondence with Asa to consider sending the team to Spain being unsuccessful a final proposal was recently accepted,” Van der Merwe said.
He added that the team was unique in that it boasts four recent Comrades winners since 2011. “The expectations should therefore be very high and the aim will not only be to win the team and individual gold medals but rather collecting the gold, silver and bronze medals and on top of that improving the 100 km team world record.”
He said the race will be held on a flat 10 km circuit with 10 x 10 km laps. The combined finishing times of the first three fastest athletes of each country will be taken into account to determine the winners.

Story: RC Myburgh
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Featured photo: Local athletes Rufus Photo and Ludwick Mamabolo will represent South Africa at the 100 km World Championships in Spain next month. (photo archive)