The men’s field at the 2026 Mercedes-Benz 17km Gallop on Saturday attracted a strong field in the men’s race and was lifted by the presence of Cwenga Nose, a local man running for Phantane in Durban.
Nose has won numerous races down in the neck of the woods and did so on this occasion in fine style on a tough course in and out of Python Park on the N6.
Luxolo Ngcongolo of Powered Up Runners remains the current local athlete to beat, and while he and Sinethemba Jilingisi of Real Gijimas gave early chase, it became a one-man show up front with Nose winning over some tough hills in 54:03, some six-plus seconds per kilometre faster than second-placed Ngcongolo, who is due to travel to England to run a prestigious half marathon there. Ngcongolo’s time was 56:45
Third was Jilingisi in 56:45, while his Real Gijimas club mate, Lilitha Xenge, finished fourth in 58:15.
The inaugural winner of the race in 2019, Anele Dlamini of Black Diamond, Mthatha, now a veteran, won the 40+ category and finished fifth overall in a close 58:27.
The first junior runner home came as no surprise when Endinako Mpondo of Brac powered his way to an emphatic win in 58:32. Second was Lizole Vara of Real Gijimas in 63:53 and third Nedbank’s Luthando Tyinkana in 64:44.
The follow-up runners in the 40+ category were Xolile Ndabeni of Boxer in a distant 61:19 and Nkosinathi Nzingo of Oxford Striders in 62:25.
The 50+ category was also not close, with Siyabulela Madlavana winning in 67:05 from Xolile Mashicila of Overtaker in 73:25, while the 60+ race was a very close one with Makaya Masumps of Easy Equities Born2Run holding off Hollywood AC’s Mzili Mpalala by just four seconds in winning with a time of 73:44.
The women’s race also provided a comfortable win for Easy Equities Born2Run’s Caryn Lategan in 71:44. Second was her sister Lauren Ranger in 75:25, while friend to both girls, Andrea Ranger, made it a clean sweep for their club finishing third in 78:53.
The veteran 40+ category also fell to the same three runners.
Weziwe Dlavana, no club allocated, won the 50+ race in 85:42 from Suzanne Goosen of Oxford Striders in 92:38.
Debbie Gee of Oxford Striders was the first 60+ category runner with Sharon Bosch of Old Selbornians second in respective times of 95:05 and 99:59.
Uviwe Simon of Boxer continued her successful racing against club mate Imange Norayase with an 80:05 over 81:31.