There was no stopping Kabelo Mulaudzi or Cian Oldknow on Saturday, as they charged to victory in the senior 10km races at the SA Cross Country Championships in Vanderbijlpark.
Mulaudzi, the defending champion in the men’s contest, shook off challenges from his Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) teammates Bennet Seloyi and Chris Mhlanga, breaking away in the closing stages and drawing clear in the chase for the line.
He completed the five-lap course in 28:01 to retain his title, with Seloyi taking the runner-up spot in 28:21 and Mhlanga finishing third in 28:37, on a route that was probably a little short.
“I came here to defend my title and I’m happy I’ve done that. I know he (Seloyi) runs hard so I was checking on him,” Mulaudzi said.
Women’s race
Oldknow was relentless in the women’s race, gradually winding up the pace and leaving the rest of the field choking on dust in dry and windy conditions.
Just four weeks after finishing 32nd in the marathon at the Paris Olympics, Oldknow triumphed in 32:43, crossing the line 37 seconds ahead of CGA teammate Cacisile Sosibo who was second in 33:20.
Defending champion Karabo Mailula, representing Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) settled for bronze in 33:51, though she went on to win gold in the senior 4km race later in the afternoon.
Mailula finished second overall over the 4km distance in 13:12, securing the senior title, while Karabo More won the race in 12:58 to win the U23 title.
Other results
In the men’s 4km race, Modupe Tladi tore through two laps of the course in 11:12 after bursting clear of AGN teammate Abram Kubjana (11:18). Sibusiso Msibi was a further three seconds back (11:21), winning gold in the U23 division.
Zenzile Pheko (CGA) was crowned SA junior champion in the U20 men’s 8km event, coasting to victory in 23:13, and Gift Nkosi (CGA) won the U20 women’s 6km race in 20:56.
The SA Cross Country Championships, which was hosted by Athletics Vaal Triangle, included over 4 100 athletes competing in age groups from Under-8 to Over-85.
