While the excitement builds up for the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town this weekend, Nkosikhona “Pitbull” Mhlakwana, one of the race favourites, insists he is not focusing on winning but improving his times at the ultra marathon.
On Saturday, Mhlakwana will be running his third Two Oceans, after finishing second in his first attempt in 2022, clocking 3:09:06 and in 2023, where he finished third in 3:10:40.
The 30-year-old has put his focus fully on the 56km-ultra marathon this year and is confident he will improve the times he achieved in the past before switching to short distances. “I came second in my first one, and in the second attempt, I finished third, then I skipped last year because I didn’t run,” Mhlakwana told Sowetan yesterday.
“This year I'm back and ready, as I normally do, to get ready for Two Oceans. I'm happy that I have no injuries and [for] the preparations that I’ve done. I’m looking forward to doing my best and trying to improve on the times that I’ve done before. I’m also looking forward to seeing what is going to happen on the day. I’ve done my training and it's over now. So, it is all about waiting for the race day, that's it.”
The Hollywoodbets Athletic Club runner will face fierce competition in the men’s race from defending champions Onalenna Khonkhobe, Lloyd Bosman, who finished second last year, 2023 champion Givemore Mudzinganyama and legendary Stephen Mokoka.
But Mhlakwana is not worried about the strong field as he is focusing on achieving his goals. “I'm fully focused on myself. I’m not going for any win, I'm going there to do my best and to make sure I leave with my goals the way I've planned.
“One of my biggest goals is to improve my time. Winning is something I'm not focusing on too much, just to go there and enjoy the race. To say I’m going for the Two Oceans marathon to win it would be a big lie. It will be a false hope, but what I know is that I've done my work. I would like to thank everyone, including my sponsors, for helping me to prepare for the race.”
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Mhlakwana aims to improve his time in the Two Oceans Marathon
Runner not fazed by tough competition from previous winners
Image: Shaun Roy/BackpagePix
While the excitement builds up for the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town this weekend, Nkosikhona “Pitbull” Mhlakwana, one of the race favourites, insists he is not focusing on winning but improving his times at the ultra marathon.
On Saturday, Mhlakwana will be running his third Two Oceans, after finishing second in his first attempt in 2022, clocking 3:09:06 and in 2023, where he finished third in 3:10:40.
The 30-year-old has put his focus fully on the 56km-ultra marathon this year and is confident he will improve the times he achieved in the past before switching to short distances. “I came second in my first one, and in the second attempt, I finished third, then I skipped last year because I didn’t run,” Mhlakwana told Sowetan yesterday.
“This year I'm back and ready, as I normally do, to get ready for Two Oceans. I'm happy that I have no injuries and [for] the preparations that I’ve done. I’m looking forward to doing my best and trying to improve on the times that I’ve done before. I’m also looking forward to seeing what is going to happen on the day. I’ve done my training and it's over now. So, it is all about waiting for the race day, that's it.”
The Hollywoodbets Athletic Club runner will face fierce competition in the men’s race from defending champions Onalenna Khonkhobe, Lloyd Bosman, who finished second last year, 2023 champion Givemore Mudzinganyama and legendary Stephen Mokoka.
But Mhlakwana is not worried about the strong field as he is focusing on achieving his goals. “I'm fully focused on myself. I’m not going for any win, I'm going there to do my best and to make sure I leave with my goals the way I've planned.
“One of my biggest goals is to improve my time. Winning is something I'm not focusing on too much, just to go there and enjoy the race. To say I’m going for the Two Oceans marathon to win it would be a big lie. It will be a false hope, but what I know is that I've done my work. I would like to thank everyone, including my sponsors, for helping me to prepare for the race.”
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