The popular Buffalo Runners Athletic Club (Brac) annual half-marathon and 10km races take place on Saturday morning, starting and finishing at Lovedale College, Lovedale Road, Qonce.
The town itself has a proud tradition in road running, and the club has taken on the role of flying the flag of past races, attracting good fields over both distances, with the half-marathon the more popular of the two, as is the norm in road running circles.
Last year, one of the province’s top male runners, Luyolo Ngcongolo, who runs in the yellow vest of Powered Up Runners AC, won the race in a good time of 69:41 for this particular course.
It is similar to that posted by Masixole Kalideni of Old Selbornians, who won in 2023 with a time of 68:57, which was a mere 20 seconds short of the then race record.
Anele Dlamini, then running for Ama Ravens, was the man who ran a record pace in 2022, setting a mark of 69:37. It is perhaps purely academic, but Kalideni had been second to Dlamini that year in 70:11 and one year later roles and times were reversed, with Dlamini finishing second in a similar 70:20 to the Old Selbornian flyer.
The weather at this time of year is often hot and humid, though the early morning 6am start for the half-marathon and 6.15am for the 10km makes a difference to the afternoon conditions, which can be extreme
In 2024 times were somewhat slower when Nedbank’s Habtuma Mishamo won over the 70-minute barrier, posting 70:05. Masixole Xayiya of Haven Hills was second in 72:06.
Kalideni has been the most regular competitor at the Brac events and was again second in 2025, though on this occasion a fair gap separated him from Ngcongolo.
The course, which winds its way out of the busy and historical Eastern Cape town, runs past Dale College, a school with an extremely proud sporting history. The runners have a much gentler run back to the finish and will surely make use of it.
The weather at this time of year is often hot and humid, though the early morning 6am start for the half-marathon and 6.15am for the 10km makes a difference to the afternoon conditions, which can be extreme.
Brac, which is proud of the youth and results the team has often posted in all aspects of athletics, will be especially hoping that junior men Endinako Mpondo and Gcinikhaya George will challenge up front. They have certainly shown their ability to do so over the past year or so.
A man who has not run the half-marathon before but who won a 10km in Mthatha recently, Cwenga Nose, could arrive, spice up the race and attempt a new course record.
A field of more than 500 runners is expected to challenge for places on the podium across the various age-group categories
The winner of the Discovery Surfers Challenge and second to Ngcongolo at the Laser 10km in January and the Border Track and Field Championships over 5,000m in Komani, Keaton Stansfeld, has indicated he may consider running the 10km, which would put that record under threat.
The women’s race in 2025 ushered in a new record when Easy Equities Born2Run’s Hanlie Botha smashed the previous record in 87:34. Botha made a comeback last weekend with a fine 10km run at the Kempston Ladies Race. This is after a longish time out with injury.
Regulars in the 10km have been Cindy Nel and Andrea Ranger, both of whom have won the event, while Sinethemba Jilingisi of Haven Hills won the men’s race last year in 32:06 and is the man to beat.
Brac will again hope their top junior woman, Bukho Breakfast, can take care of the likes of Uviwe Simon and Image Norayase of Boxer.
A field of more than 500 runners is expected to challenge for places on the podium across the various age-group categories.
Daily Dispatch
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