Posted: January 14, 2005

Athletics: Winners To Defend Two Oceans Titles

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Riel Hauman

Both winners of the 2004 Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon, presented by Nike, Zimbabwean Marco Mambo and Russian Elena Nurgalieva, will be back to defend their titles this year. The 56 km event, South Africa’s second biggest race, will be held for the 36th time on Easter Saturday, March 26, in Cape Town.

Mambo, then 32, won the Two Oceans at his first attempt last year in 3:07:41. This made him the fourth fastest runner ever in the history of the race behind Thompson Magawana (whose record of 3:03:44 has been standing since 1988), Johnny Halberstadt (3:05:37 in 1981) and Zithulele Sinqe (3:07:17 in 1997).

Mambo’s time was even more remarkable if the atrocious conditions were taken into account. It rained throughout the race (as it did the whole day beforehand) and the sports fields on which the race finishes were turned into a mudbath several inches thick. The Two Oceans returned to the traditional route over Chapmans Peak last year after it had been held on an alternate route for four years while the “Chappies” road was rebuilt.

If Mambo wins again, he will be the first runner since Sinqe in 1997 to successfully defend his title. Before that Magawana in 1988 was the last to turn the trick.

The Nurgalieva twins, Elena and Olesya, dominated the Comrades ultramarathon in 2003 when they took the first two positions on their debut. Over Easter last year they tried the Two Oceans for the first time and although they were given a fright by South Africa’s Azwindini Lukhwareni, they finished first and second again. Yelena’s 3:37:51 was just 19 seconds slower than Simona Staicu’s time in 2003 and put her third on the all-time list (Frith van der Merwe’s record is 3:30:36, set in 1989).

The Nurgalievas seemed unbeatable as a “team” – but only until the Comrades in June, an “up” run last year. Farwa Mentoor, who had been fifth in the Two Oceans, confirmed her status as the country’s premier ultrarunner when she split the twins by finishing third. Elena won again, follwed by compatriot Marina Bychkova, with Olesya fourth.

For the third year in a row Mentoor was the first South African, but this time she did much better than her eighth place of 2003.

In an interview at the Bay to Bay 30 km race last weekend Mentoor said she relished the extra two weeks that runners will have between the two major ultra races this year. Last year the interval was just more than nine weeks. One also got the impression that this means a faster Two Oceans for her in 2005.

The last repeat women’s winner in the Two Oceans was Angelina Sephooa, who won in 1997, 1998 and 1999.

Online entries for the Two Oceans are open and runners can enter at www.TwoOceansMarathon.org.za. Entries for the ultra have been capped at 10,000 and for the accompanying half marathon at 8500. Entries close on February 28, or earlier if the maximum numbers are reached.