Mmotlana and Westner win inaugural MNS Attorneys Carnival City Marathon  

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Modderbee Prison warder Lesiba Mmotlana and Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) runner Alexandra Westner emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s 42.2km races at the inaugural MNS Attorneys Carnival City Marathon on May 1.

Mmotlana clinched the men’s race ahead of Lucky Morajane and Happy Vuyo, while Westner beat Pertonella Khumalo and Sheree Rogers to the women’s title.

Men’s race
The Correctional Services RC runner was overwhelmed with emotions when talking to the media after his victory, saying that it was his first-ever marathon victory.

“It’s my first time winning a race. Thanks to Ben Maluleka for pacing me in the first lap. I missed good times in marathons last year. I was on a program to achieve six consecutive sub-three-hour marathons. I achieved it today. That’s why I’m emotional,” he said.

The athlete led the men’s race early on but realised at the halfway point that he was in the lead. He ran the first 13km in 50:05, before covering the next 21km in 01:24:44.

He then ran the remaining 8km in 38:09, eventually breaking the tape in 02:52:57, shattering his marathon record of 02:55:32 achieved at last year’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon by 02:35.

“I’m so excited. I’m now looking forward to the Comrades. I hope to achieve a back-to-back silver medal,” said Mmotlana.
Morajane was 04:08 off the pace after finishing second in 02:57:05 and Vuyo completed the top three 19 seconds after the Team Eish runner.

Women’s race
Victory was the furthest thing on Westner’s mind when she stood at the starting line. She was targeting a Comrades Marathon C seeding and maintained an average pace of 05:08min/km in the first half of the double-lapper race.

She breezed through the first 13km in 01:06:23 in third place before taking the lead and completing the next 21km in 01:47:54.
Westner increased her pace to 5:09min/km in the last 8km to eventually breast the tape in 03:38:58.

“I’m extremely happy. The first place is honestly a bonus. I was going for my Comrades C seeding. A win makes my heart happy. It was a good race, well-organised and it had such a good vive at the water stations,” she said.

The runner-up Khumalo of Run Zone crossed the line in 03:41:05, while the Boksburg Athletic Club’s (BAC) Sheree Rogers finished 14 seconds behind in 03:41:19.

Half-marathon
Kabelo Mwahla and Deneke Snyman clocked 01:10:32 and 01:37:29, respectively, to win the men’s and women’s 21.1km races.
Qhubeka AC’s Mwahla beat the BAC’s Maphuti Majetja, who clocked 01:10:36 for second place, and Desmond Makola (01:17:13) to the title.

Alberton Athletic Club’s Snyman finished 01:44 ahead of runner-up Claudia Figueira of Bedfordview Athletic Club, with Figueira’s teammate, Veronica Warmington, third in 01:43:00.

Tshiamo Sedumedi, the MD of the headline sponsor, MNS Attorneys, expressed gratitude to the over 1 800 runners who participated in the race.

“Kudos to Mamepe Striders and the MNS team that put this together. It was well-organised. It was our first race. We were test driving. We’ll go back to the drawing board to see what else can be done to improve the race. The intention is to have this partnership with Mamepe for as long as possible,” he said.