Siphelele Nketo 

XJ ATHLETICS Club (XJ AC) of Emaxesibeni celebrated the victory of Vakele Jamile who won third place in the Rising Sun Chatsworth Ultra Marathon in Durban last Sunday, April 19.

The 52km race pushed Jamile to his limits as he bravely pursued endurance and glory, describing the race as both challenging and exciting.

He said he started the race with a promising speed until he reached a point where he had to push hard to remain in the top three.

He led the race in the first half, however, things took a sharp turn in the second half when two runners, Nkosiyethu Mhlongo and Nkosindiphile Ntuli overtook him at 45km.

He said chasing them was not easy, and he crossed the finish line in third place.

“It was my first time running an ultra marathon, and I learnt a lot from it. To be honest, the route was very brutal and it prepared me for the upcoming Comrades Marathon,” he said. Nkosindiphile Ntuli took first place, followed by Nkosiyethu Mhlongo in second place and Jamile in third position.

There were three race categories for the marathon: the 52km ultra marathon where most experienced runners participated, the 25km where athletes challenged themselves to go further than their usual distances, and a shorter 10km run/walk.

The race was filled with laughter, with casual runners celebrating the togetherness and fun of the event.

Meanwhile, XJ AC also announced that Aqhama Gxoko, a student at Ingwe TVET College, and a club member, has been performing well in the College Sports, Arts and Culture of South Africa (COSACSA) in Western Cape.

Bonginkosi Mbotshwa, the XJ AC spokesperson, said that the club is represented by four runners in the COSACSA games.