Local runners determined to end foreign domination at Sunday’s Soweto Marathon

For a country renowned for producing ultra-distance runners adept at tackling tough route races, South Africa's failure to win the men's section of the Soweto Marathon is baffling.

The People's Race, which takes place on Sunday, — though not an ultra — is a tough marathon teeming with killer inclines.

You'd think that kind of profile would favour the locals and not the East Africans who are renowned for their prowess on fast and flat courses.

Yet it has been 11 years since a South African man won the popular race in the sprawling, historical township southeast of Johannesburg.

Michael Mazibuko was the last winner back in 2011 and since then it has been runners from Lesotho, Kenya and Ethiopia who have reigned supreme.

Conversely, local girl Irvette Van Zyl has dominated the female category and has won the last three editions of the race successively.

What chance then is there of a local runner to win the 27th edition when it takes place on Sunday?

Soweto Trust chair Sello Khunou said in the build-up to the race that as the organiser they are dying to see the title remain on home soil.

Khunou said he finds it strange that South African men have been allowing the foreigners to take food out of their mouths.

“They are here at home and they have all the time to train on the route to get used to it and understand it for race day. I don’t see why they don't do that to give themselves a better chance of winning.”

Khunou said they will not be putting up any incentives to encourage the home athletes to do better, at least not until one of them has reigned victorious.

“They must win it first, only then can we consider introducing any bonuses.”

The prestige of winning the race alone should be enough incentive to see the runners striving to end the foreign domination from the last seven editions run since 2011.

The race was cancelled in 2013 due to lack of funding and did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

When it was last run in 2019, the best South African man finished a distant eighth place and Ntsindiso Mphakathi believes he could have done better than that spot had he not rushed into the lead.

“I should not have gone to the front too early. Maybe I should have waited until there was about eight kilometres to go before taking the lead,” he lamented.

It is a lesson he plans to put to good use on Sunday and is hopeful he can repeat if not improve on his heroics of 2017 when he finished in third place.

“I've shown before that I can challenge for the title and I plan to do that this time,” said the runner who turns out in the white and navy blue colours of Entsika Athletic Club.

He goes into the race being “super fit” according to his coach Hendrick Ramaala and should thus have no problem fading when he gets to that tough incline in New Canada  and by the Putco Bus depot.

“I always struggle when I get to those points and always find that I have to just hold on. I hope to be able to push even there.”

There is once again a strong contingent of foreign runners with record four-time champion Sintayehu Leaves Yihesu also in the mix.

The Ethiopian completed a hat-trick of victories in 2014, 2015 and 2016 before finishing second in 2017 and he returned to win again in 2018.

Will he be champion on Sunday?

The fact that he ran a 2:15:37 at the Lagos City Marathon in February suggests he is good for an impressive showing in Soweto.

But Mphakathi and the other South African runners will be out to stop him and any other foreigner looking to get into the FNB Stadium first.

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