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Elroy Gelant won the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon on Saturday in rainy and blustery conditions and a decade after his first victory in the 21km race.
The Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon, incorporating the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Half Marathon Championships, got off to a wet and windy start on Marine Drive in Summerstrand.
Gelant went hard and was followed by 2021 champion Precious Mashele, with organisors saying that the challenging conditions were reflected in the time of 31.30 that it took for the leaders to pass the 10km mark.
The conditions meant that the chasing pack which included defending champion, Thabang Mosiako, Lesotho’s Kamohelo Mofolo, and Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) athlete, George Kusche, were able to close them down.
Gelant, who won the first edition of the race back in 2014, crossed the finish line in 1:03:54.
Namakoe Nkhasi from Lesotho finished as the runner-up in 1:04:04 and Mashele took third in 1:04:05 for Central Gauteng Athletics (AGN).
Mofolo finished in fourth place (1:04:05) and Mosiako fifth (1:04:15) for the host province.
In the women’s race Ethiopia’s Tadu Nare dominated from the start, as she led from gun to tape to win in 1:12:01 to her compatriot Diniya Abaraya’s 1:12:31 who finished as the first junior.
Lesotho’s Blandina earned third place in 1:13:39 while Glenrose Xaba in fourth overall (1:13:42) finished as the first South African to defend her SA title.
