SOUTH AFRICANS WIN LUBOMBO MARATHON

SITEKI - Two South African runners outpaced Lubombo Marathon defending champions Mancoba Nhlabatsi and Samukelisiwe Tfwala to clinch victory in the first marathon race of the year.

The Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force’s (UEDF) athlete Mancoba Nhlabatsi and Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) runner settled for second best in their respective gender categories, as Samuel Mathabatha and Nomvuyo Sithole claimed the top spots yesterday.

Each winner returned to South Africa with E5 000 cash prizes each in their pockets. Mathabatha said it was a tough competition, but he was grateful that his tactics and strategy paid off, leading him to victory on the day.

Meanwhile, defending champion Nhlabatsi expressed disappointment, saying it was a last-minute heartbreak after he had set the pace throughout the course. He was just 75 metres away from the finish line when the Bella’s Athletic Club’s athlete overtook him.

Nhlabatsi clocked 2 hours, 29 minutes, and 58 seconds, just nine seconds behind the winner. In the women’s section, Sithole crossed the finish line after three hours and 24 minutes on the challenging course. The Uniwasp Athletics Club’s runner from Mpumalanga mentioned that it was a hilly and tough race, especially against the runner-up, ‘Samu’.

‘Samu’, who was the first liSwati winner, was thrilled with her performance, although she felt there was still room for improvement in her finish time. She noted that the course was quite challenging on the return to the finish point. “I want to hit the ground running in this category. Even if I stumble, I still want to maintain the first liSwati position. I aim to keep my performance strong, as those who come from beyond the borders sweat it out to seize victory,” she said.

In the 21.1 km race, local runners took the gold, with Correctional winning both categories. Sipho Mamba was the champion, closely followed by UEDF’s Melusi Khumalo. Meanwhile, Thobile Ngwenyama continued her unmatched speed in the ladies’ category, with REPS’ Nongcebo Mathabela giving her a run for her money on the road.

Each winner in this category returned home with E3 000. The race saw over 800 runners hit the road, joined by Minister for Sports, Culture, and Youth Affairs, Bongani Nzima. The National Commissioner of Police, Vusi Manoma Masango, also participated in the 10km race, alongside many police officers.

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