SPOTLIGHT: JOHN KORASIE 30KM, SIMON'S TOWN

There's no better way to mark Women's Month than a clean sweep of the podium, and that's exactly what Nedbank Running Club WPA's ladies produced at the John Korasie 30km on Sunday, 16 August. Deanne Laubscher led home the entire overall women's field in 2:00:23, with clubmates Maretha Smit 2nd in 2:08:43 and Olga Layton 3rd in 2:08:47 - three Nedbank vests, top of the podium, ahead of every other club in the field. It didn't stop there: Liz Marshall finished 5th to help the four of them secure the ladies' team prize outright.

The same four women went on to dominate the W40-49 age category too, with Olga Layton, Liz Marshall and Elmé Middlemost going 1-2-3. And on the men's side, club chairman Patrick Dlangamandla made it a weekend double — a day after taking 2nd at the WPA Cross Country Champs, he claimed the M70-79 title at John Korasie in style. A phenomenal team performance to close out the weekend.

NRC WESTERN PROVINCE (WPA)

WPA Cross Country Championships

Nedbank WPA had a big day out, finishing with a medal tally of 7 gold, 6 silver and 5 bronze across the age groups.

In the men's categories: Luke Rudolph won U/14 gold, with Devonty Jacobs 3rd; Abukwe Mboxela was 2nd in U/13; Joshua Schouw won U/17; Keano Qwili was 2nd in the U/23 4km; Dewayne Mouries won 35-39; Riaan Wildschutt won 40-44; Vakalisa Kopolo was 2nd in 45-49; Andrew Cooper was 3rd in 55-59; Roger Simpson was 2nd in 60-64; and Patrick Dlangamandla was 2nd in 70-74, with Robbie Lindsay 3rd.

In the women's categories: Hanlie Jordaan won 35-39, with Petra Oerson 3rd; Kobie Griffiths won 40-44; and Anneline Roffey won 45-49, with clubmates Rolandi Schutte 2nd and Tanya Posthumus-Fox 3rd - a full sweep of the podium.

NRC GAUTENG (CGA)

Totalsports Women's Race, Johannesburg

The Totalsports Women's Race series closed out its three-city, three-Sunday run at Marks Park, Emmarentia, on 16 August, and it belonged to Glenrose Xaba, who won in 32:11 - her second victory of the year, and part of her build-up to the World Half Marathon Championships in Copenhagen next month. It was a fitting finale to a series that saw Lesotho's Neheng Khatala win Durban and Kenya's Daisilah Jerono take Cape Town - three different winners across three cities and three weekends of Women's Month racing.

Nedbank Running Club's Dikeledi Majara was the standout in green, finishing 7th overall in 35:41 - a top-10 finish against elite international opposition. Tebogo Mokgosinyane claimed the 1st Veteran title in 41:00, and Ingrid Koster was 2nd in the Women 50-59 category in 44:46 - a brilliant weekend double for Ingrid, coming a day after she won her age category at the AGN Cross Country Championships.

CGA Cross Country Championships

Nedbank Soweto's development pipeline was on full display: Kganya Mphelane claimed the U/9 Boys title, and Bontle Mathole was 2nd in the Girls U/10 2km. In the masters ranks, Jacqueline Frey won the Women 65+ 4km, with Winnie De Winaar 3rd in Women 55+.

NRC EASTERN PROVINCE (EPA)

GBS Mountain Drive, Grahamstown

Christopher Mabengeza was 2nd in the Men's 60-69 category over 21.1km in 1:34:59. Over 10km, Liezl van Zyl won the Overall Women's race and the Ladies 50-59 category in 52:14, with clubmate Wendy Sorensen 3rd in the same age group in 1:00:56.

NRC GAUTENG NORTH (AGN)

AGN Cross Country Championships

Three individual gold medals for the club: Frances van Blerk won the Women 70+ category, Dalene Sonnekus won Women 60-64, and Ingrid Koster won Women 50-54. Thabang Madiba produced the story of the day after a fall at the 4km mark, he got back up, chased down the leaders and still came away with silver.

NRC LIMPOPO

Viraldi Engelbrecht was also an age category winner in W35-39, clocking 16:51 over 4km.

NEDBANK BY GRACE (FREE STATE)

Free State Cross Country Championships

A big medal haul for Nedbank By Grace: 3 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze. Thabang Mathosa won the Senior Men's 10km gold, with clubmate Bongani Hlongwane 2nd. Este Van Tonder won gold in the W40-44 category, with Anna Moeketsi 2nd in the same age group. Dineo Dithakono won gold in the Girls U/15 4km. Omphile Letshabo was 2nd in the Men's U/23 4km, and Reitumetse Beukes was 2nd in the Junior Women's 6km. On the bronze medals, Boipelo Malebo placed 3rd in the Senior Women's 10km, Maryna Swanepoel was 3rd in W35-39, and Sibusiso Ndhlela was 3rd in M45-49.

CTM Running Fest, Bloemfontein

The same Free State athletes backed it up in a road race over 10km, Moleboheng Mohapi was 2nd overall and 1st Junior, while Omphile Letshabo was 3rd overall in the men's race. Over 21km, Anna Moeketsi was 2nd overall and 1st in the 40+ category.

NRC KENYA

Mombasa Marathon

An international highlight for the club: Hillary Kiprotich Chumo finished 4th in 2:16 on his marathon debut, with clubmate Florence Kemunto Nyaingiri 6th in 2:43.

NRC SOUTHERN CAPE (SWD)

Themba Kasi 10km, George

Annatjie Botes claimed the 1st Grand Master Women's title in 48:57.

NRC KZN

Prince Mangosuthu Ultra Marathon, 52km

A Comrades-qualifying ultra from Nquthu to Dundee. Siyamthanda Bazana finished 6th overall in 3:07:48, and Msawenkosi Nsibande was 6th in his category in 4:08:29.

CLOSING

Every single result in this round-up, from a U/9 boy's first podium in Soweto to a 30km clean sweep in Simon's Town, comes back to the same thing: green team spirit. Whatever the province, the distance or the age category, this club shows up for each other - and it shows.

Mark the calendar: the ASA Cross Country Championships are on Saturday, 5 September. After the medal hauls this weekend across WPA, CGA, AGN and the Free State, expect a big green presence on the start line. Let's carry this momentum straight through.

Well done to every single athlete who represented Nedbank Running Club with pride this weekend.

 

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