Onalenna Khonkhobe bags maiden Two Oceans Marathon title

Khonkhobe crossed the finish line in 3:09:30, outpacing his teammate Lloyd Bosman, whom he surpassed at the 3km mark, to collect the R250 000 prize.

Bosman secured second place in 3:09:58, while last year’s champion Givemore Mudzinganyama trailed in third at 3:11:13.

“Winning the Two Oceans Marathon for the first time fills me with joy. Around the 35km mark, I decided that today’s victory was mine," shared Khonkhobe.

"Despite the challenging winds that significantly impeded my pace, I remained focused. The Two Oceans holds a special place in my heart as my favourite ultra-marathon.

"We have been preparing for this race for three months with my coach and teammates. I listened to my coach and today, I won. 

"I had no strategy and followed Stephen Mokoka for 30km, and gained the belief that I could go on to win the race. I would like to thank my club and everybody who played a part in my victory.”

Two years ago, Khonkhobe had been on track for victory until an unfortunate slip dashed his hopes, relegating him to sixth place.

However, this time around, his triumph in the Dis-Chem Half-marathon in January prepared him to step it up a notch in one of South Africa’s most gruelling ultra-marathons.

READ: Gerda Steyn breaks another record to win fifth consecutive Two Oceans title