Latest news with #OnalennaKhonkhobe
The Citizen
a day ago
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Onalenna Khonkhobe is a future Comrades champion
One of the toughest athletes in the country, Khonkhobe has proved he can win the prestigious ultra-distance race in KZN. A couple of years ago I was watching the Comrades Marathon on TV with a friend, and when an athlete I had never heard of hit the front in the early stages, I stated with unbridled confidence that he wasn't going to win. Nobody can win Comrades without taking a conservative approach in the first half. Around 60km into the race, with my friend questioning my credentials as a self-proclaimed road running analyst, I started backpedaling in an attempt to save face. Fortunately for me, Onalenna Khonkhobe eventually bailed, and as the gold medal contenders reeled him in during the closing stages of the race, I looked less foolish. Last year, Khonkhobe went on to win two of SA's biggest races, the Two Oceans ultra-marathon and the Soweto Marathon. Repeat performance And last week there was a sense of deja vu when Khonkhobe again hit the front of the 90km Comrades Marathon in the early stages, opening a massive gap on the rest of the elite field. This time, sitting in the media centre at the finish of the race, I again claimed that he had gone out too hard. When he stopped shortly after the halfway mark and grabbed his right hamstring, that was it, I said. He was done. And this time I wasn't chatting to a friend. I was surrounded by athletics reporters who all agreed. Some 10 kilometres later, while Khonkhobe switched between walking and running, we all maintained our stance. It's only a matter of time before he's caught. Another 10 kilometres down the road and we were all glancing at each other. Is he actually going to do this? Every time he stopped or walked, we thought Khonkhobe would bail. But he kept going. And going. And going. Incredible effort He did ultimately drop out when he was caught with less than 20km to go, but as much as he was ridiculed for his approach by spectators, those of us in the media centre shared a common consensus: This dude is unbelievable. Nobody should be able to hit the front at the start of Comrades, tear the road apart like a monster and hold on for that long. Khonkhobe has proved his ability as an athlete in recent years, but Comrades is a different beast. As others have learned, you can't win the race by hitting it head on. You have to be smart, controlled and patient. That's the only way to do it. But Khonkhobe's ability to hang on after going out hard – which he has now done twice – has been astounding. He's remarkably tough, but he can't keep treating Comrades like a sprint. If he gets his head together, approaches the gruelling race properly, and gives it a real go, it's hard to imagine anyone beating him. Khonkhobe is a Comrades champion. All he has to do now is win the race… and one day he will.
The Citizen
08-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
Watch: Drama and heartbreak on Comrades Marathon course
By mid-morning, the Comrades Marathon was already delivering drama and heartbreak as many of the early leaders struggled to maintain their pace, with several forced to walk sections of the course and others grimacing through cramps. The Witness reports that men's leader Onalenna Khonkhobe, who took an early lead, has been seen walking on multiple occasions and finishing is likely to be a challenge. In the women's race, Gerda Steyn was leading after Botha's Hill, followed by Alexandra Morozova in second place and Dominika Stelmach in third. There were also several position changes in the men's race, with Tete Dijane moving up to third place and Nikolai Volkov now running in second. The morning started fast, with Khonkhobe setting the early pace and quickly taking charge of the men's pack. However, he has since been seen walking and struggling with cramping in his right leg. In the women's race, Zambian athlete Elizabeth Mukoloma, who had been the early leader, dropped back to fourth place after Botha's Hill and was also spotted walking on steeper sections of the route. She was replaced in third by Stelmach. Khokhobe, who unwisely took the early lead from Pietermaritzburg, suddenly saw himself paying for his early sins when he felt the pressure around Inchanga and started walking. His face looked stressed and there were clear signs that he won't be able to make it to the half way… — The Witness (@WitnessKZN) June 8, 2025
