Richard Pearce Photography.
Two new world records were set at the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers 50 km road race in Gqeberha on Sunday.
Nedbank Running Club (NRC) athletes Tete Morena Dijana and Emane Seifu Hayile set new men’s and women’s 50-kilometre world records at the event.
Starting in the dark at 05:30, Hayile finished in a time of 3:00:30, setting a new world record, Ethiopian national record, and a continental record.
Last year’s champion Amelework Fikadu Bosho came in second place in a time of 3:06:24 followed by Swede Hanna Lindholm who set a Swedish national record time of 3:08:56.
First South Africa across the line was Stella Marais, who started the race as a pacemaker.
The men’s race was led by Gqeberha’s Melikaya Frans “who did a fantastic job of keeping the men way under the world record tempo”, but it was ultimately won by Tete Morena Dijana in a time of 2:39:03.
The victory not only set a new world record, held by Stephen Mokola, but he also set both a South African and continental record.
Just 37 seconds back in second place was Dijana’s NRC teammate, Onalenna Khonkobe, while Tonny Skink, in the Maxed Elite colours, set a Zimbabwean national record time of 2:40:03.
“We were in the camp for a purpose and the hard work we endured paid off today,” Dijana said in a post-race statement.
“My victory is for my camp, my team Nedbank and all of South Africa.”
Race director Nick Bester was also elated with another “record-breaking morning” saying “the athletes really came to the party and performed.”
