Sports / Other
Muzhingi finishes fourth at Comrades Marathon
01 Jun 2014 at 06:19hrs | Views
Durban - THREE-times Comrades Marathon winner Stephen Muzhingi will have to try again after finishing a disappointing 10th in KwaZulu-Natal today as South African Bongmusa Mthembu won the 2013 Comrades Marathon.
Muzhingi found the going tough in the gruelling race to finish 4th in: 18:35:18 an improvement to his 5:52:37 recorded in 2013 when he fineshed 10th.
Another Zimbabwean Prodigal Khumalo clocked 5:39:36 hrs to finish on the 9th position.
In 2011, he became the first man in 23 years to win the Comrades Marathon three successive times. Stephen Muzhingi has 7 Gold Comrades Marathon medals.
Muzhingi joined 67 other Zimbabweans who successfully registered to take part in the Ultimate Human race.
This year's version of the race was a down run, starting from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
Muzhingi was with other athletes like Mike Fokorani, Marko Mambo and Point Chaza itching to sneak into the top 10.
The competition will see over 18 000 athletes drawn from all over the world enduring the gruelling 89km race.
Bongmusa Mthembu won his maiden Comrades Marathon after clinching the 2014 'down run' title by a comfortable margin in Durban on Sunday.
The Nedbank runner, winner of three previous gold medals in one of the world's most famous ultra marathons, crossed the line in a time of 5:28.34.
He finished the 89.28km race over four minutes ahead of Ludwick Mamabolo, the defending 'down run' winner from 2012 who recorded a time of 5:33.14.
Mthembu, from Bulwer just outside Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, took the lead just before Cowies Hill - approximately 17km before the Kingsmead Stadium finish - and never looked back, finishing strongly on his way to claiming the R350 000 top-prize.
Gift Kelehe, brother of 2001 winner Andrew, came third in a time of 5:34.39 with three-time former champion Stephen Muzhingi (5:35.18) of Zimbabwe fourth, followed by countryman Rufus Photo (5:35.30) in fifth.
Results from the 2014 Comrades Marathon men's race run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Sunday:
1. Bongmusa Mthembu (Nedbank RC) KZN 5:28:34
2. Ludwick Mamabolo (Nedbank RC) GAUTENG 5:33:14
3. Gift Kelehe (Samancor Chrome MC) LIMPOPO 5:34:39
4. Stephen Muzhingi (Toyota AC) ZIMBABWE 5:35:18
5. Rufus Photo (Pietersburg RR) LIMPOPO 5:35:30
6. Mncedisi Mkhize (Maxed Elite) KZN 5:36:06
7. Jonas Buud (Nedbank RC) SWEDEN 5:38:17
8. Manoko William Mokwalakwala GAUTENG 5:39:29
9. Prodigal Khumalo (Maxed Elite) ZIMBABWE 5:39:36
10. Latudi Makofane (Samancor CM) Limpopo 5:40:41
Muzhingi found the going tough in the gruelling race to finish 4th in: 18:35:18 an improvement to his 5:52:37 recorded in 2013 when he fineshed 10th.
Another Zimbabwean Prodigal Khumalo clocked 5:39:36 hrs to finish on the 9th position.
In 2011, he became the first man in 23 years to win the Comrades Marathon three successive times. Stephen Muzhingi has 7 Gold Comrades Marathon medals.
Muzhingi joined 67 other Zimbabweans who successfully registered to take part in the Ultimate Human race.
This year's version of the race was a down run, starting from Pietermaritzburg to Durban.
Muzhingi was with other athletes like Mike Fokorani, Marko Mambo and Point Chaza itching to sneak into the top 10.
Bongmusa Mthembu won his maiden Comrades Marathon after clinching the 2014 'down run' title by a comfortable margin in Durban on Sunday.
The Nedbank runner, winner of three previous gold medals in one of the world's most famous ultra marathons, crossed the line in a time of 5:28.34.
He finished the 89.28km race over four minutes ahead of Ludwick Mamabolo, the defending 'down run' winner from 2012 who recorded a time of 5:33.14.
Mthembu, from Bulwer just outside Pietermaritzburg in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands, took the lead just before Cowies Hill - approximately 17km before the Kingsmead Stadium finish - and never looked back, finishing strongly on his way to claiming the R350 000 top-prize.
Gift Kelehe, brother of 2001 winner Andrew, came third in a time of 5:34.39 with three-time former champion Stephen Muzhingi (5:35.18) of Zimbabwe fourth, followed by countryman Rufus Photo (5:35.30) in fifth.
Results from the 2014 Comrades Marathon men's race run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on Sunday:
1. Bongmusa Mthembu (Nedbank RC) KZN 5:28:34
2. Ludwick Mamabolo (Nedbank RC) GAUTENG 5:33:14
3. Gift Kelehe (Samancor Chrome MC) LIMPOPO 5:34:39
4. Stephen Muzhingi (Toyota AC) ZIMBABWE 5:35:18
5. Rufus Photo (Pietersburg RR) LIMPOPO 5:35:30
6. Mncedisi Mkhize (Maxed Elite) KZN 5:36:06
7. Jonas Buud (Nedbank RC) SWEDEN 5:38:17
8. Manoko William Mokwalakwala GAUTENG 5:39:29
9. Prodigal Khumalo (Maxed Elite) ZIMBABWE 5:39:36
10. Latudi Makofane (Samancor CM) Limpopo 5:40:41
Source - online
