How Mudzinganyama came to cast his line at Two Oceans to hook a ‘big fish’

Givemore Mudzinganyama’s victory in the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon was a surprise to many, the Entsika Athletics Club runner having not been among the initial favourites.

The Zimbabwean’s name was conspicuously absent when the organisers released the list of the potential top 10 for Saturday’s men's race in Cape Town. And with good reason. The 32-year-old was among the fastest runners in the race, but he was also making his debut in the 56km ultra.

But novices have previously won the race, with last year’s winner, Edndale Belachew of Ethiopia, having succeeded in his first attempt at an ultra.

Unlike Belachew, Mudzinganyama had run races longer than the standard 42.2km marathon and was unlikely to be overawed by the distance. The then-Asics Frontrunner athlete ran the inaugural Nedbank Runified 50km race in Gqeberha in 2021, though failed to finish. He had some good runs at Two Oceans’ non-ultra events, coming 12th in the 2015 half-marathon and ending an impressive runner-up in the 2018 Long Trail race.

This weekend there was no stopping the soft-spoken athlete who had spent most of his running career struggling to secure a professional contract, even though he managed to score some impressive victories in local standard marathons.

Joining Entsika under the tutelage of revered 2004 New York City Marathon winner Hendrick Ramaala, who won the Two Oceans half-marathon in 2005, proved the catalyst for the breakout victory. It is a result that is sure to send the Zimbabwean’s career soaring to the heights his natural talent deserves.

Mudzinganyama explained how a speech by Entsika boss Zakhele Mkhize, at the club’s conference before officially joining, inspired him.

“I was struck by what our manager said at our club’s end of year meeting last November,” Mudzinganyama said.

“He said while you could earn some smaller income with running regular shorter-distance road races, if you ‘can catch one big-fish a year’ you could make a real living.”

In South African running the “big fish” are the Two Oceans, Comrades Marathon, Soweto Marathon and Cape Town Marathon, and Mudzinganyama had to choose where to cast his line.

“After hearing that speech, I said, ‘Which big fish can I catch in 2023?' I decided the Two Oceans would be my big fish.”

And catch the fish he did, Mudzinganyama coming from left field to stun his more revered competitors such as second-placed Dan Matshailwe who, while making his Two Oceans debut, showed with a third-place finish at last year’s Comrades he was a proper ultra runner. Third-placed Nkosikhona Mhlakwana finished second in Cape Town last year and earned a gold medal in one of his two Comrades.

The women’s race result was no surprise with Gerda Steyn smashing her record from last year by 36 seconds. She was able to celebrate the victory with most of her family members.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotional at the finish,” the 33-year-old crowed. “My whole family was here to welcome me. I just love this race and will certainly be back next year and hopefully for many years to come.

“My main aim was simply to go for my fourth win. I was racing head-to-head with the Ethiopian athletes [Ethiopian Amelework Fikadu Bosho finished second] for the first half and on ‘Chappies’ [Chapman’s Peak] before I was able to move ahead.

“But I thought the record might come if I maintained a good pace. At 50km, I worked out that if I ran 3:30 per kilometre to the finish I would have a few extra seconds to enjoy the moment.”

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