Latest news with #ElroyGelant
News24
3 days ago
- Sport
- News24
Mulaudzi cruises to Durban victory in personal best time
Rajesh Jantilal Despite a strong challenge from defending champion Elroy Gelant and Kenya's Vincent Kipkorir, Mulaudzi timed his race perfectly to take victory with ease. With two events remaining in the series (Tshwane in August and Johannesburg in September), Mulaudzi is focused on a clean sweep and breaking the national 10K record of 27:28 set by Adriaan Wildschutt earlier this year. South African long-distance star Kabelo Mulaudzi delivered yet another dazzling performance on Sunday morning, storming to victory in the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K with a blistering personal best of 27 minutes and 41 seconds. The race unfolded under Durban's clear skies and warm coastal conditions, drawing 10 000 spectators along Durban's scenic promenade. Rajesh Jantilal Mulaudzi surged ahead in the final stages of the race to extend his streak of sub-28-minute finishes to three consecutive races, a feat that underscores his growing dominance in South African road running. It was the fifth time in his career that Mulaudzi dipped under the elusive 28-minute barrier, further cementing his status as one of the country's elite athletes. Mulaudzi faced stiff competition throughout the 10 kilometre race, including a spirited challenge from defending champion, South African Elroy Gelant and Kenya's Vincent Kipkorir. But it was Mulaudzi who timed his race to perfection, pulling away to an easy victory. Rajesh Jantilal Speaking after his victory, Mulaudzi said he was happy to have won the race. The competition was good. This field had all the fast guys. My target was to break the national record, but I think the pace was a bit slow in the first 5km, which is why I missed it today. Kabelo Mulaudzi That national record – 27:28, held by Adriaan Wildschutt – was set earlier this year at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10 kilometres and remains within reach, and Mulaudzi is determined to take another shot at it. It wasn't meant to be today, but this isn't the end of the road. I'll try again. For now, my focus is on winning the two remaining events in Tshwane and Joburg. Mulaudzi Sunday's win marked Mulaudzi's second triumph in this year's Absa RUN YOUR CITY SERIES, following his victory in Cape Town in May, earlier this year. With two races remaining coming up in Tshwane next month and Johannesburg in September, he now eyes a clean sweep of the Absa Run Your City 2025 Series. Rajesh Jantilal In the women's race, Kenya's Clare Ndiwa marked her South African debut with authority, claiming the title in a superb 30:50, a time that stunned the field and signalled her arrival on the local circuit.
IOL News
18-05-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
After SA record, Elroy Gelant aims for even quicker time to chase world champs medal
Elroy Gelant New SA marathon record-holder Elroy Gelant (red vest). Photo: SUPPLIED Image: SUPPLIED AT THE age of 38, many athletes are way past it. Not so Elroy Gelant, who is epitomising the saying 'ageing like fine wine' by producing performances that far belies his age. His recent run at the Hamburg Marathon catapulted him into national hero status, and ensured that his legacy will outlive him. Granted, records are there to be broken, and his 2:05:36 that improved Gert Thys' long-standing mark from 1999 by 57 seconds will be bettered in time. The man himself is realistic enough to acknowledge that much. 'I think there's something more in the pocket, and not just for me individually. I think that we as South Africans have the ability to run faster and get to that 2:04 or 2:03 world standard,' Gelant told Independent Media. It is just two weeks after he had smashed the 26-year-old record that was fast beginning to look unbreakable, and Gelant is already anticipating the next big goal. A multiple Olympian who performed best of the South African marathoners at the Paris Olympics with his 11th-place finish, the man from Pacaltsdorp in George has his sights now set on the upcoming World Athletics Championships. Unlike last year, when he had to anxiously wait for the rankings to see if he had accumulated enough points to earn his place at the Games, Gelant has secured an automatic ticket for the World Championships in Tokyo in September, thanks to that superb effort in Hamburg that earned him fourth place. 'Most definitely,' he says during our interview in the Mother City ahead of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10k, which he later completed in 28:08 for fourth place. 'That's one of the things I was thinking about. Last year, it was nail-biting about going to the Olympics or not. 'But what the Olympics did for me was to teach me to 'believe in yourself', and when the gun went off, I was like, 'Whether (Eliud) Kipchoge is in front of me or not, I was going to go for it'. I don't care.' It was that attitude which saw him run the race of his life in Hamburg. 'I went with the same mentality to Hamburg, and I am starting to get to where I believe in myself that I can be among the best in the world. 'When I started (running marathons), I always looked up to (Kenenisa) Bekele and Kipchoge. Yet watching them on TV, I felt that these guys were running slowly,' he chuckles. He did get a chance to test himself against Bekele once, and while the Ethiopian showed him a clean pair of heels, Gelant felt he held his own against the legendary runner. 'There was a time in Belgium when Bekele had to qualify for the 10 000m World Champs in the last race before the qualifications cut-off. 'I had the opportunity to race against him, and it was almost just me and him in that race – he ran a 27:20 something, and I ran a 27:41. 'I always had the belief that I can be better than these guys, and I slowly but surely started to get it back into my mentality that I really can. 'I think that's what played a big role in my breaking the South African record in Hamburg.' Gelant could actually have run much faster than the time he did had his hamstring not bailed out on him for a while. 'For the Hamburg race, my watch was set for 2:05:30. That was my target. 'I didn't focus on the record, because I knew I had it in me to run something way more special than the record. 'I missed my target for the race by six seconds because at 37 kilometres, I got a bit of a hamstring (niggle) and I stopped. 'I was like, 'My race is over', and then I thought I am so close to the finish, I can't give up, and I started running again, going easy until my hamstring eased up.' As he looks ahead to the World Championships, where he could become the first South African to win a medal at a major global event in the marathon since Josiah Thugwane's glorious golden run at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, Gelant admits he will have to be a little faster. 'The reality is that 2:05 is still average, it's not fast. You need to be at around 2:02 to be a contender for an Olympic or World Championship medal.' Such has been his improvement and 'can do' attitude in the past three years that there's every reason to believe that the Boxer Athletics Club superstar can produce runs good enough to compete for medals, even at his ripe old age of 38.
IOL News
27-04-2025
- Sport
- IOL News
Elroy Gelant shatters SA record in Hamburg Marathon
TOP PERFORMANCE Elroy Gelant (centre) broke the South African marathon record with a remarkable time of 2:05:36 at the Hamburg Marathon, showcasing his impressive transition to long-distance running. Picture: BackpagePix Elroy Gelant shattered the SA record as he finished fourth in the Hamburg Marathon in a time of 2 hours five minutes and 36 seconds (2:05:36) on Sunday. The 38-year-old took 57 seconds off the previous SA record, which was set by Gert Thys in Tokyo in 1999. Gelant has produced an exceptional late-career flourish as he has made the switch to the marathon from the shorter half-marathon and 10km races in South Africa. Testament to his quality over the 42.2km distance, Gelant also finished 11th at the Paris Olympics in the men's marathon last year.
The South African
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The South African
Elroy Gelant breaks 26-year old South African marathon record
South African long-distance star Elroy Gelant made history on Sunday, breaking one of the nation's oldest athletics records with a blistering performance at the Hamburg Marathon. The 38-year-old Gelant, a former national 5 000m record holder, finished fourth in the elite field with a stunning time of 2:05:36, shattering the longstanding South African marathon record of 2:06:33 set by Gert Thys in Tokyo back in 1999. Gelant sliced an impressive 57 seconds off the old mark and obliterated his own personal best by more than three minutes – his previous best being 2:08:56, set in Seville last year. Beyond the historic national milestone, Gelant's performance also secured himself an automatic qualification for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo this September, comfortably beating the qualifying standard of 2:06:30. Kenya's Amos Kipruto won the race in 2:03:46, leading home a fiercely competitive field. Elroy Gelant's fourth-place finish cemented his place among the top marathoners on the global stage and marked a major triumph for South African distance running. Gelant, who placed 11th in the marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, continues to show remarkable endurance and progression well into his late thirties – a testament to his longevity and determination in the sport. His record-breaking run signals a new era for South African marathon running, inspiring hopes for even greater success on the world stage later this year. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news.
The Citizen
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Elroy Gelant shatters 31-year-old South African marathon record
Gelant clocked 2:05:36 to finish fourth in Hamburg. Long-distance runner Elroy Gelant obliterated one of the longest standing records in the South African books on Sunday, taking fourth place at the Hamburg Marathon in Germany. Gelant, a former national record holder over the 5 000m distance on the track, crossed the finish line in 2:05:36 to slice 57 seconds off the national 42km mark of 2:06:33 which was set by Gert Thys in Tokyo in 1999. The 38-year-old athlete, who finished 11th in the marathon race at last year's Olympic Games in Paris, ripped more than three minutes off his personal best of 2:08:56 set in Seville last year. In the process, he achieved the automatic qualifying standard of 2:06:30 for the World Athletics Championships to be held in Tokyo in September. Kenyan athlete Amos Kipruto won the race in Hamburg in 2:03:46.
