THREE-times Comrades Marathon winner Stephen Muzhingi will have to try again after finishing a disappointing 10th in KwaZulu-Natal yesterday as South African Claude Moshiywa won the 2013 Comrades Marathon.
Sports Reporter/Sapa
Muzhingi found the going tough in the gruelling race and at one time he appeared to be out of it before he picked up pace and recovered to finish 10th in 5:52:37.
The first Zimbabwean home was Mike Fokoroni who was eighth in 5:50:18.
The marathon was won by Claude Moshiywa who stormed clear in the last third of the Comrades Marathon in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, breaking the foreign stranglehold as he became the first South African to win the “up” run in 21 years.
Moshiywa, who was third in 2011 and ninth last year, took the lead from countryman Johannes Kekana after four hours on the road, and charged ahead in warm conditions to secure a historic victory.
The last South African to win the men’s “up” run was Jetman Msutu in 1992. Zimbabwean Moses Njodzi, who won the Two Oceans Marathon in 2006, emerged as the first real contender, opening a one-and-a-half minute lead at the halfway mark, as he charged through Drummond in two hours, 40 minutes.
Njodzi faded quickly, however, struggling up the steep Inchanga climb in the early stages of the second half, and he was passed by Moshiywa, Kekana, Fokoroni and little known Rufus Photo.
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Photo fell behind soon after, and Fokoroni held on for a few kilometres before he also dropped back, leaving the South African duo to break clear after more than three hours on the road.
Kekana, a former All Africa Games marathon champion, slowly slipped back and Moshiywa was eventually left on his own with a little less than 25km remaining.
He fastened his grip on the race in the closing stages and crossed the finish line in Pietermaritzburg more than nine minutes clear of Sweden’s Jonas Buud, who produced a strong finish to take second place.
Mpesela Ntlosoeu of Lesotho finished in third position, a further two minutes behind, and defending champion Ludwick Mamabolo was fourth.
RESULTS Men: 1 Claude Moshiywa (RSA) 5:32:08 2 Jonas Buud (SWE) 5:41:20 3 Mpesela Ntlosoeu (LES) 5:34:37 4 Ludwick Mamabolo (RSA) 5:45:48 5 Johannes Kekana 5:46:26 6 Henry Moyo 5:46:51 7 Joseph Mphuthi 5:47:59 8 Mike Fokoroni (ZIM) 5:50:18 9 Rufus Photo (RSA) 5:51:51 10 Stephen Muzhingi (ZIM) 5:52:37
