Athletes from across the Free State were at the 33rd annual Kloppers Marathon, taking to the streets of Bloemfontein on Saturday, 10 February.
There were 1 954 athletes registered for the marathon hosted by the Bloemfontein Achilles Running Club, taking on the 42,2 km, 21,1 km, 10 km races or the fun run of 4,8 km.
Thanks to the marathon, the city welcomed visitors from Lesotho, Aliwal North, Kimberly, Johannesburg, and many more.
As opposed to the wet and rainy conditions of the past two years, the 42,2 km and 21,1 km runs were enveloped in thick mist in the early hours.
The Bloemfontein sun soon broke through and the race was completed in warmer conditions. At the finishing line, 485 runners completed the 21,1 km race and 335 the 42,2 km.
Arthur Jantjies of the KGA club in Lesotho led the marathon home in a time of 2:33.28, followed by the defending champion Pule Hlabahlaba of Sibanye Gold (2:34.13) and Thabang Masopha, also from Lesotho, in third (2:36.28).
Simone Malan won the women’s marathon with a time of 3:05.20, Leonora Smit came second (3:08,06), and Marlene Geldenhuys was third (3:21.44).
The 21,1 km men’s race was dominated by two Lesotho athletes – Tsietso Sello with a time of 1:17.42, followed by Teboho Sello (1:17.44), and Chabeli Nyedimane of Top Runners (1:19.50) third. The women’s race was won by Anna Moeketsi of Murray and Roberts (1:27.33), Ntebaleng Letsela from Lesotho second (1:31.00s), and Palesa Mafanya of the Central University of Technology (CUT), Free State, in the third place (1:40.50).
The 10 km run, which doubled as the Free State Championship, was completed by 493 athletes. Podium places for the men’s race was taken by Kabelo Lesia, Rebone Sello (both from Lesotho), and Mabuthile Lebopo of Nedbank. The women’s podium was filled by Kesa Molotsane, Este van Tonder and Mohanuoa Lekhelebane, all from Bloemfontein.
