Two-time Comrades Marathon champion Tete Dijana received a warm welcome from more than 2,000 fans and fellow runners as he participated in the first leg of the Fortress Running Series this past weekend. The event, featuring different categories, kicked off at Venda Plaza in Thohoyandou on Sunday morning (16 July).
Despite not competing for a prize, Dijana, who won the Comrades last year and successfully defended his title this year, finished the 10km race close to the winners. He joined his training partner and fellow Comrades champion, Edward Mothibi, in a relaxed run, interacting with and posing for photos with their admirers.
The 10km race was won by a remarkable 16-year-old, Kamogelo Mnisi, who impressed by beating the seniors and crossing the finish line in a time of 42:39.
The main race, the half-marathon, started at a blistering pace for both male and female runners. Nedbank Running Club's Makgoba Given Masemola was the first to cross the line after completing the 21.1 kilometres in an impressive time of 1:06:20.
In the women's race, Kenyan athlete Rosaline Isaiah from Nairobi showcased her long-distance running prowess, leaving local runners behind from start to finish. After the race, she clarified that she came to South Africa as a student at a TVET College in Mpumalanga, not specifically for the Fortress Running Series.
When asked about the standard of athletes in South Africa compared to her native Kenya, she acknowledged that South Africa has more talented athletes, but that Kenya excels because of its better athletic coaches and sporting academies. Isaiah emphasised the need for local athletes to receive coaching and work hard to excel in long-distance races.
In the 5km race for men, Given Ndou from Tsianda emerged as the winner.
The next race in the Fortress Running Series is scheduled to take place at Evaton Mall in Evaton, Gauteng, on Sunday, 20 August.