The BCM 10km road race on Saturday attracted reasonable numbers in spring running conditions, although the performances delivered were of a seasonally unsettled variety.
Up front in the men's race were two of the same athletes who have contested numerous races in recent weeks.
Luyolo Ngcongolo, the most prominent athlete at Powered Up Runners, turned the tables on Easy Equities Born2Run's Awonke Bungu with a good 30:39 win over a course that varied between a few tough hills and fast downhill and flat sections. Bungu's time was 31:23.
Third was Lilitha Xenge in 32:23, and he was followed by his Real Gijimas' club mate and the first junior home, Lizole Vara in 33:35. Vara has been prominent at most races too.
Two more junior runners followed with Hlumiza Badi and Mihlali Mgubo, both of Brac, finishing in 34:50 and 35:02 respectively.
The veteran 40+ category was won by Simphiwe Majiki of Young Stars in 35:26, while snapping at his heels was Bulelani Mgubo of Overtakers in 35:33.
,Siyabulela Madlavana of Nedbank won the 50+ masters race, though not through his usual commanding tactics, settling for a finish in 39:12. Xolile Mashicila, a strong running member of Overtakers, was second in 39:18.
Makaya Masumpa, a doyen of Border distance running, won the 60+ in the colours of Easy Equities Born2Run with a sound 39:40 and well ahead of an old rival, Mzoli Mpalala of Hollywood AC in 42:01.
Since making a comeback to running, 70+ category runner Michael Forbes of Oxford Striders secured a comfortable win in 49:09 over Linda Peli of HAL24 – EC in 55:05.
Three women who have raced each other often in recent times went head to head in the early stages of the race.
Cindy Nel of Easy Equities Born2Run put in her most telling race in recent weeks, winning in an encouraging 39:40. She was also the first woman in the 35+ age group, while Angelique Norton of Oxford Striders was second, 3:38 adrift in a time of 43:18.
In second place overall was the constantly improving Mbali Tube of Real Gijimas in 40:05, while the ever-present 40+ veteran and teammate of Nel, Andrea Ranger, won her category and finished fourth overall in 42:15. Lesley Blair of Oxford Striders was second veteran in 47:41.
Jo-Anne Preston, Blair's clubmate, won the 50+ category in 55:36, while Bulelwa Njemla of Balekani was second in 63:15.
Remarkably, in the 60+ category, Born2Run's Hester Ferrezuelo was faster than her younger age category competitors, winning in 49:09, while second, 5:59 later, was Alison Langtree of Oxford Striders, recording 55:06.
The first junior, Emmah Ngakulele of Boxer, finished in 47:38, while Michelle Whittington, running in the 70+ category, won her age group for the umpteenth time in 2026.
