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The Diesel Depot 15km road race through the streets of Berea, Stirling, Nahoon Valley Park, Abbotsford, Dorchester Heights, Vincent and Selborne has been on the calendar for many years and has always been popular with runners.
However, it has not always attracted the top runners due to calendar clashes, such as the Comrades Marathon, cross-country and more.
The men’s field in 2026 was headed by one of the province’s all-time bests, Luyolo Ngcongolo of Powered Up Runners, who has won more local road races than most.
On this occasion he was dominant again, flying effortlessly down the hills and over the flats while also powering up the long and tough Diesel Depot hill, in excess of 1.5km.
Ngcongolo ran 48:37, eight seconds ahead of the second man, Awonke Bungu, who has been running as an independent for more than a year but who is now aligned to Stutterheim Athletic Club — a club looking to expand its horizons, which have always been ambitious.
Bungu finished in 48:45, winning the 35-39 years category.
Ngcongolo was just 11 seconds off the best time set by Malixole Kalideni.
Thereafter followed the first two 40-49 years category runners, Simphiwe Majiki in 53:34 and Nkosinathi Nzingo of Oxford Striders in 54:04, while Bradley Birkholtz of Easy Equities Born2Run, in the same category, was third and seventh overall in 54:44.
Thandikhaya Siyongo of Scenery Park finished second in the 35-39 years category in 54:41, and Tiaan Jacobs of Born2Run finished third in 56:50.
Luthando Tyinkana of Nedbank won the junior men’s race in 54:18, with Lilitha Gwebityala and Keano Ekron second and third, just two seconds apart.
The first 50+ master was Christophe Bernardie of Nedbank in 62:48, and the first grandmaster 60+ was the incredible Makaya Masumpa of Born2Run, who simply keeps on going with a 66:42.
Mike Heathcote also of Born2Run won the 70+ men’s race in 90:56.
There were no meaningful surprises in the women’s race, including the ongoing dominance of the winner, Easy Equities Born2Run’s Hanlie Botha.
Botha, running in the veterans category, won overall in 58:00, ahead of Caroline Toisch of Old Selbornians in 66:58 and, in third spot, Melanie Elsdon of Oxford Striders in 67:02, while her teammate Chantel Lombard was fourth 41 seconds later.
Toisch is the only runner of those in the sub-35 category, and thus the other three were first to third in the veteran 40+ contest as well, with veteran runner Unetsie Steenberg-Botha of Born2Run making up the top five in a more-than-adequate comeback race of 68:18.
Laura Rheeders of Oxford Striders won the 35+ from Aviwe Magwanya of Haven Hills, while Susanne Goosen had a narrow and tight win over Carol Tinhoff of Old Selbornians with respective times of 77:49 and 77:52.
Debbie Gee of Oxford Striders was first in the 60+ with a comfortable win over Sharon Bosch in 75:21 and 80:13, respectively.
Michelle Whittington, running as an independent, won the 70+ in 1:58:23, while at the other end of the age group scale was Joanna Handley, also an independent runner, who was the top junior in 77:48.
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