Johannesburg - The wait for a South African male winner of the Soweto Marathon continues unabated following yet another Ethiopian domination of the People's Race this morning.
Not since Michael Mazibuko's victory back in 2011 has the full marathon at the popular three-in-one race (there is a half marathon plus a 10km race too) has there been a local winner.
And any hopes this would change were smashed into smithereens by an Ethiopian power show that saw the east Africans occupying three of the first four positions.
Dana Ifa Debele won the race in 2:18:58 after overtaking runaway leader Gabisa Debele Gutama with about four kilometres to go.
Gutama, who had to settle for second place in 2:19:27, went into the lead at the Moroka Police Station and looked to be running away with the race as he opened up a reasonable gap on the lead bunch.
He had taken the lead from Skhumbuzo Seme, the son of the legendary running coach Micahel Sponge Seme.
Congratulations to our podium finishers in the men's 42km race: Daba Ifa Debele (centre), Gadisa Bekele Gutama (right) and Tsepo Ramashamola (left) #SowetoMarathon #riseabove pic.twitter.com/yhT7nK8zkL
— Soweto Marathon (@SowetoMarathon) November 6, 2022
Racing in the front, Seme looked good as he flew through Pimville, Kliptown and Dlamini.
His father though said, during a call from yours truly, that Skhumbuzo was going against their plan.
"Is he mad? He should.not be in front. What is he doing there?. I told him to stay with the bunch."
Fantastic performance by Chaltu Bedo Negashu, who makes it an Ethiopian double by winning the women's 42km race in 2:40:56 #SowetoMarathon #riseabove pic.twitter.com/P5QVGF7mOv
Racing in the front, Seme looked good as he flew through Pimville, Kliptown and Dlamini.
His father though said, during a call from yours truly, that Skhumbuzo was going against their plan.
"Is he mad? He should.not be in front. What is he doing there?. I told him to stay with the bunch."
It was not surprising that he duly pulled out of the race shortly after being overtaken.
Gutama controlled the race until the 36km mark but Debele rebelled him in and duly beat him into second place.
Leaotho's Tshepo Ramashamole was third in 2:20:21, some 21 seconds ahead of four time champion Sintayehu Legese Yiheau.
In the women's race, the absence of defending champion Irvette Van Zyl who won the previous three editions opened the way for an Ethiopoan clean sweep of the podium.
Chaltu Bedo Nagashu won in 2:40:56 ahead of Anelework Fikadu Bosho by 18 s3conds while Tinabebe Nibiyu Ali was third in a time 2:44:32.
The best South African runners on the day were Entsika's Ntsindiso Mphakathi and Adele Brooderyk of Murray & Roberts