South Africans solid at World 50km Championships

50km World Championships

South Africa’s Elijah Mogoboya, Claude Moshiywa, Lesley Train and Julanie Basson all finished in the top ten of the World 50km Road Championships in Assen, Holland on Saturday 20 August.

Mogoboya finished 5th overall with a time of 3:03;55 to finish as best South African entrant. Kenya’s John Wachira and South Africa’s Samual Moleshioa set the early pace, staying together until 30km when Kenya’s Eliot Biwot took over. From there, Moleshioa struggled and was dropped, whilst Wachire grimly hung for second at the 40km mark. Mogoboya was lying third but was being chased hard by Japan’s Kaito Iwayama and a flying Pieter Vermeesh from Belgium.

In the final 5km Wachira dropped to 4th, Vermeesch went into second and Iwayama moved into third, whilst Mogoboya was holding on to 5th place. And that is how it finished.

Claude Moshiywa crossed the line in 10th in 3:11;12.

In the women’s race Britain’s Emma Gooderham finished 15th overall to take line honours with a time of 3:17;30. Julanie Basson finished 7th in the women’s race less than 90seconds ahead of compatriot Lesley Train who had finished third in this event in 2009 when the race was held in Gibraltar.

Results

Men

1.      1 Eliot Kiplagat Biwott KEN IAU Men 10 2:54:53
2.       Pieter Vermeesch BEL IAU Men 10 2:57:23
3.       Kaito Iwayama JPN IAU Men 10 2:59:12
4.       John Wachira KEN IAU Men 10 3:02:33
5.       Eliya Mogoboya RSA IAU Men 10 3:03:55
10.  Claude Moshiywa RSA IAU Men 10 3:11:12

Women

1.      Emma Gooderham GBR IAU Women 10 3:17:30
2.       Susan Harrison GBR IAU Women 10 3:25:05
3.       Joanna Zakrzewski GBR IAU Women 10 3:26:37
4.       Yuka Ezaki JPN IAU Women 10 3:28:06
5.       Shanna Ailes Istni USA IAU Women 10 3:33:58
7. Julanie Basson RSA IAU Women 10 3:35:51
8.  Lesley Train RSA IAU Women 10 3:37:07