Humorous Anecdotes, Observations & Accounts of Marathon Running & Agile Adventures.
Earlier this year I ran the Buffs Marathon and was pleased to see Mkhululi Jack, affectionately known as MJ, along the route. MJ was leading his customary bus. I am not big on running in buses but I am big fan of MJ and the work he does. In a world of influencers, MJ is a contributor.
If you think running a negative split at Comrades is tough you should have tried to achieve this feat at the 2022 Down run when the second “half” (from the Drummond timing mat) was 2.2km longer than the first. In fact, there was just one person who finished under 7h30 and managed this accomplishment – Lindt De La Port.
What is even more impressive is that, weighing in at 90 kilograms and bearing a Afrikaner-Portuguese hybrid physique that resembles fortified (rather than fine) wine, de la Port is the heaviest person to achieve a Silver medal that I know of (if there is a heavier Silver medallist out there please let me know).
But it’s one thing to earn a Silver on the Down run when you’ve got gravity on your side – what about carrying all that cargo up to Pietermaritzburg? In my 2022 stats report I called Lindt the ‘prince of pacing’ but could de la Port upgrade to ‘crown prince’ status at the 2024 Up run?
Continue reading “The Best Comrades Up Run Silver of All Time?”
These days it seems that provincial athletics unions are trying to outdo each other in idiocy. Athletics Griqualand West (AGW) take the early lead for Mampara of the Month Award by incorrectly disqualifying KHS Founders Half Marathon winner Onnalenna Khonkhobe, admitting that their senior race referee does not know the rules but refusing to rectify the situation and reinstate him as the race winner.
Onnalenna Khonkhobe is hot property in running circles. He is a rare and unique talent and has a personality that writes its own headlines. Most races would fight to have his winning smile on their start line and would relish the PR possibilities when Khonkhobe crosses their finish line in first position.
PR possibilities are few and far between in Kimberley, one of the smallest running communities in South Africa. Just 1% of the Comrades field (fewer than 200 entrants) hail from the Northern Cape. But on 16 May 2026, there was Onnalenna Khonkhobe at the start line of the little-known KHS Founders Half Marathon. Just over an hour later, Khonkhobe arrived at the school fields for a comfortable 1:04:13 victory. And yet if you look at the official results you’ll see that the ‘winner’ came in well over a minute later – Ambitious Masihleho in 1:05:37.
Continue reading “Khonkhobe Incorrectly Disqualified by AGW Referee: AGW refuse to reinstate him as race winner despite admitting mistake”
After the 2025 Marathon cancellation, serious organization issues seem to be coming to the fore at the Cape Town Marathon. There was controversy ahead of Saturday’s 10k Peace Run with several local runners initially being denied Elite status by an apparent unpublished “by invitation only” policy for elites.
After a social media campaign, Dewyane Mouries was eventually granted elite status at the 11th hour. At today’s Peace Run, Mouries finished 7th fully vindicating his Elite status credentials and raising additional questions about why he had to fight for his right to start at the front of the field. Another athlete who was initially refused Elite status, Keaton Lott, finished 8th.
Continue reading “Seeding Stuff-up: CTM left with egg on face as 4 ‘non-elite’ runners finish Top 10”
Dewayne Mouries is in the form of his life. The 38-year-old police officer who runs for the Boxer Athletics Club recently won the Richmond Corner 10k in a personal best of 30:16 (where he finished almost a minute ahead of his nearest competitor). He also ran 30:48 at the Gqeberha leg of the ABSA Run Your City (RYC) series and a 30:43 at the Paarl SportSA 10km.
At the latter event, Mouries finished third just 5 seconds behind Yanga Malusi and 2 seconds behind William Kaptein. Both Kaptein and Malusi are in the Elite field at the CTM Peace Run. Mouries was hoping to break 30 minutes for the first time at the cancelled Cape Town ABSA RYC 10k two weeks ago and had now set his sights on this milestone at the CTM Peace Run.
This currently unidentified man running in Nicke van Wyk’s 2026 Two Oceans half marathon race number is officially the first person to be bust by AI for bib banditting. I have contacted van Wyk to let her know about her ‘world first’ but have not received a response at the time of writing. I would of course like to get the name of the man who is running in her number as well.
They say a picture says a thousand words. Here’s exactly one thousand words explaining how this photo of an unnamed female bib bandit in Must Love Hills kit is relevant for integrity, ethics and morals.
The timing chip from #65036 has been removed. Whether this is sensible or devious is debatable but at least this bandit won’t compromise the official results and ship’s log. Removing the timing chip does however indicate premeditation and that the bandit and bib provider knew what they were doing was wrong.
Continue reading “Doubling Down on Integrity: A Question for Kendra Stewart”
Who polices the running police? I can confirm that at least 3 provincial technical officials (from 2 different provinces) are amongst the list of tipoffs and confirmed Two Oceans bib bandits that were sent to me. These are the same people who take joy disqualifying recreational runners for technical reasons or because they woke up one morning and decided to make a particularly bizarre interpretation of a rule meant for elite athletes in diamond league events (as happened in Limpopo with #CapGate last weekend).
There have been some truly inexplicable decisions and edicts emerging from the bowels of our provincial athletics unions recently. Unfortunately I just don’t have the capacity at present to properly investigate and address each one. Suffice to say that South Africa is the only country in the world where national and provincial bodies try to govern and regulate recreational running. All good and well when you have capable people who are putting the best interests of the runners and the sport first but that is clearly not happening at present.
Continue reading “Who polices the running police?”
Where does the 2026 False Bay 50 rank in terms of bad weather runs? Having 309 previous marathons as a point of comparison, I’ve run a few where it’s rained more and rained harder but that is definitely the strongest wind I’ve ever encountered.
The only marathon I’ve done that rivals False Bay 2026 was back in 2008 when I was in the USA for work and ran a double-lapper around an air force base in Warner Robins, Georgia. As such it was exposed to the elements. The first-lap was great – perfect running conditions. I ran an 87 minute split and thought I would cruise around for a comfortable sub-3.
Continue reading “False Bay 50: Ranking the weather”
Whilst there has been a lot of focus on bib banditting, I recently received tip offs from multiple people about bib swapping for the purpose of qualification cheating. Interestingly they were from the same Pretoria-based club, Zwakala Athletics Club.
In this case, I am pleased to report that all parties admitted their deceit and the club itself has been 100% forthright – and took immediate and appropriate action.
Continue reading “Two Oceans Cheating: Wife Swapping & Bad Seeds”