Stange completes her first-ever marathon

A LARGE group of Amanzimtoti Athletics Club (AC) members took part in the Durban City Marathon on Sunday, 1 March.

This race has been revived after being off the road running calendar for a couple of years.

It was a flat and fast two lap route taking the runners through Durban, the harbour, beach front into Victoria embankment. This was the never going to be an easy marathon with the flat route and extremely hot conditions making it difficult for runners.

Well done to Belinda Stange on completing her first-ever marathon in 4:58. This was a great achievement as she only started training last October, which shows what motivation, consistency and hard work can do.

Toti AC results from the Durban City Marathon: First Jabulani Amos Shishani 2.50.11, second Xolani Nocanda 2.52.50, third Ewoud Grobler 3.13.45, fourth Barnabas Mlanduli 3.26.02, sixth Steven Yelseth 3.35.22, seventh Desmond Venter 3.47.00, eighth Thobani Mntungwa 3.47.38, ninth Isaac Khoza 3.56.52, 11th Russell Warren 4.17.31, 12th Laurie Martin 4.25.33, 13th Mel Greyling 4.25.45, 14th Moses Kunene 4.27.45, 16th Charles Panaino 4.42.42, 17th Julie Yelseth 4.44.56, 18th Dave Ozorio 4.53.04, 19th Tyron Castle 4.53.04, 20th Marco Coetsee 4.53.05, 21th Christopher Stange 4.58.40, 22nd Belinda Stange 4.58.40, 23rd Mpho Nesamari 5.00.00, 24th Willem Wasserman 5.18.46.

10km run: First Wiseman Mbongeni Maphumulo 35.32, second Geoffrey Ngcobo 35.50, third Musa Dladla 35.56, fourth Bongisizwe Mfume 37.02, fifth Thabani Maphumulo 49.13, sixth Martyn Clarck 52.45, seventh Amy Naidoo 1.02.40, eighth Nokuthula Hlengwa 1.06.50, ninth Krishnie Balaram 1.19.23.

Runners who do the Wednesday time trial must start wearing a reflector belt as it is becoming dark a lot earlier in the evening.

AAC’s juniors performed exceptionally well at the annual Umlazi Schools District athletics championships on 27 February. The club’s juniors won a total of around 30 medals, including at least nine gold medals. Sesi Mbatha was especially outstanding in winning three golds in the girls U15 100m, 200m, and 400m, despite all these events also having heats on the same day, in other words a total of six races. No other sprinter could complete such a gruelling treble of wins in any other age group on the day, the closest being the club’s own Dwayne Trollip (youth boys), who came away with two gold medals in the 100m and 400m, and a silver in the 200m.

A work party is being arranged for Saturday at the new clubhouse at 9am, where members will be laying paving. Take bacon and eggs for breakfast afterwards. Go along and see the new Toti clubhouse. Members are encourage to go to the new website at www.totiac.co.za