Chabeli Nyedimane (Transnet) and Paulina Njeya (Toyota) kicked off their 2013 road running season exactly how they finished their previous season. They won the senior men and women races respectively at Bloemfontein Striders 10km event, which was staged last Wednesday in Langenhovenpark, Bloemfontein.
The 29-year-old Nyedimane won the race comfortably in a respectable 30:15 and left his younger brother, the 25-year-old Thulo Nyedimane (Transnet), well behind. Samuel Segoaba (Transnet, 30:50), who is struggling to find the form which saw him represent South Africa a couple of years ago at the world half marathon (21.1km) championships, had to settle for a distant third place.
Njeya, who ran the best race of her life in November at the Soweto marathon (42.2km) when she finished seventh, won the women’s race on Wednesday in 37:16, beating one of the best Free State long distance athletes, Annah Moeketsi (Transnet, 37:57) by approximately 200m (41 seconds).
Maryna Swanepoel (Kovsies) was in third place in 40:31.
The other winners: Men: 40 – 49 years: Sampi Morapedi (Individual, 37:00), 50 – 59 years: Pieter Blignaut (Bloemfontein Achilles, 46:11), 60 years plus: Willie van Loggerenberg (Bloemfontein Striders, 48:18), juniors: Tefo Ramohotsi (Pentagon Pistols, 42:42), Walk: Philip Vogel (BMAC, 1:08:22).
Women: 40 – 49 years: Sorita Viljoen (BMAC, 50:53), 50 – 59 years: Charmaine van der Walt (Bloemfontein Achilles, 53:38), 60 years plus: Louise Combrinck (Bloemfontein Achilles, 1:13:02), Walk: Molemoeng Maoneno, (BMAC, 1:03:40).
