LOBAMBA – They have etched their names into the history books.
Athletes Ntokozo Nkonyane of the Umbutfo Eswatini Defence Force (UEDF) and Nongcebo Mathabela of the Royal Eswatini Police Service (REPS) emerged victorious in the inaugural edition of the Times Half Marathon, which drew a massive field of over 2 000 runners.
The prestigious event attracted high-profile dignitaries, including Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Thulisile Dladla, the Ministry of Sports, Culture and Youth Affairs, Under Secretary (US) Mzwandile Mthethwa; Athletics Eswatini (AE) President, Zakhele Dlamini, Times Managing Editor (ME) and Acting Managing Director (MD) Thobeka Manyathela and the executive management of Eswatini Mobile, among other notable guests.
Nkonyane clinched the men’s title after clocking a commanding time of 1:10:15. For his stellar performance, he pocketed a E4 500 winner’s prize and was awarded an air fryer courtesy of Ebet. Additionally, all podium finishers received E100 from e-Mali.
Nkonyane dictated the pace for the majority of the 21km course, which commenced at Mahlanya, traversed through Malkerns, turned just before the Sundowners route back towards Mahlanya, and culminated at the Olympiafrica Centre finish line. Although Nkonyane spearheaded the field for most of the race, his teammate Melusi Khumalo tracked him closely, launching a fierce late surge that almost snatched victory at the tape. Ultimately, Nkonyane held him off by a mere second.
In the women’s division, REPS were dominant as Mathabela clocked an impressive 1:34:04 to secure the crown. She was followed by runner-up Gugu Mthembu (1:47:19), with Samkelisiwe Tfwala rounding out the podium in 1:51:50. The top three finishers in both the men’s and women’s categories received cash prizes of E4 500, E3 500 and E2 500 respectively.
Reflecting on his victory, Nkonyane praised the course layout, noting that the flat terrain and gentle downhills favoured fast times. He also extended his gratitude to the Times of Eswatini and the corporate sponsors for staging a flawless event.
“Having a dense schedule of back-to-back races is vital for competitive runners to maintain peak fitness and elevate the standard of athletics in the country,” Nkonyane remarked. “I am thrilled to win this inaugural race and cement my place in its history. I had a bit of a dry spell recently, finishing fourth at the VOC Half Marathon and second at the Lubombo Marathon, so this victory feels incredibly rewarding.”
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