Athletics
Kanyimo and Marais sparkle on the slopes of Devil’s Peak as trail running opens the Two Oceans weekend.
Zimbabwe-born Nedbank athlete, Colllin Kanyimo, regained his title in the Totalsports Two Oceans Long Trail Race over 24km this morning (Friday 10 April) while running doctor Ebeth Marais remains unbeaten in her re-launched trail-running career, taking the honours over a quality women’s field.
Almost 700 trail runners took part in perfect conditions in two races over 16km and 24km, returning a top-quality trail event to the Two Oceans Marathon bouquet of races over the weekend.
The challenging trail races started and finished on the UCT Green Mile and took place on the slopes of Devil’s Peak and Table Mountain. The Long Trail included much of the traditional route from the time it was first run in 2010, albeit in reverse direction.
The race started out with a circuit through Newlands Forest before reaching Kings Blockhouse along the contour path, racing past the Saddle via the Middle Traverse before returning to the UCT campus via the Lower Traverse.
Part of the trails, including the start and finish venue at UCT, will be used for next year’s World Mountain and Trail Championships and a high-level delegation of technical experts from World Athletics and its trail and mountain running partners were in attendance to assess aspects of the routes and the event logistics.
“So far we’re really pleased with what we have seen,” said World Athletics Running Project Manager, Brazilian Natacha Manchado.
“Cape Town’s a great place to host the championships and the mountain backdrop is stunning. Our technical experts are working closely with local trail organisers to ensure compliance with the championship guidelines and standards.”
For Kanyimo it was a case of many happy returns, having won the Two Oceans Long Trail Race in 2022 and the competitive 43km Cape Town Trail Marathon in 2024. And from the time he drew away from the lead group in Newlands Forest, 4km into the race, there was only going to be one winner, and he raced home in an impressive 2 hr 02 min 07 sec.
“My plan was to run away on the climbs, I am stronger there, down runs are difficult for me. These days I am specialising in road races. So, I know that I have speed. I pushed on the climb up to the contour path to open a big gap so I could relax when I reached the descents.”
Kanyimo drew steadily away from his rivals and was four minutes clear of 2026 Pass to Pass Marathon winner, Iain Peterkin, on the descent from the Saddle, two thirds into the race.
Siviwe Nkombi, who won the Pass to Pass 25km in February, finished strongly to overhaul Peterkin and claim second in 2:06:25 with Peterkin rounding out the podium a minute further back.
Leading Western Cape trail athlete, Mila Geldenhuys, took an early lead in the women’s race, climbing strongly to the contour path, before former Marais hauled her in at the King’s Blockhouse.
“I felt good,” Geldenhuys reflected. “But Ebeth was running so strongly it was impossible to stay with her. But I’m happy with second.”
Marais moved further away in the second half to cross the finish line at the UCT Green Mile in 2:18:03, 2 min 25 sec clear of Geldenhuys with Cape Town-based American Emily Djock third.
“I only started running trail more seriously last year,” Marais said. “I just love the Cape Town trails and knew that the route would be great, while the support along the way was amazing. It was unbelievable to cross the finish line first.”
Marais spends her working hours just a few hundred metres away from part of today’s route – she is working towards a neurological science specialisation at Groote Schuur Hospital. “But we never get any off time at lunch to train on those trails, it is far to busy for that,” Marais laughed.
Knysna-based former Whale of Trail double winner, Melikhaya Mzisi, won an exciting race in the 16km Short Trail, finishing in 1:18:12, just 44 seconds clear of Jonathan Black, while Louise Muller triumphed by 15 minutes over Elzanne Kuun in the women’s contest.
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Nigeria’s trio of Rosemary Chukwuma, Blessing Ogundiran and Miracle Ezechukwu will battle for places in the women’s 100m final at the 2026 Commonwealth Games after learning their semi-final opponents in Glasgow on Tuesday.
With only the automatic qualifiers and fastest losers expected to progress to the medal race, all three Nigerians will need near season-best performances to keep Nigeria’s hopes alive.
Chukwuma Leads Nigeria’s Strongest Medal Hope
Rosemary Chukwuma has been drawn in Semi-final 1 and appears to have Nigeria’s best chance of reaching the final.
The Nigerian, who owns a personal best of 10.88 seconds and a season’s best of 10.95 seconds, is the second-fastest athlete in her race based on personal bests.
She will line up against Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye (10.82 PB), Australia’s Torrie Lewis (11.04), Canada’s Audrey Leduc (10.94), Jamaica’s Jodean Williams (10.97), Gambia’s Gina Mariam Bass Bittaye (10.93), England’s Mabel Akande (11.18) and Antigua and Barbuda’s G. Dowdye (11.34).
If Chukwuma produces a clean start and runs close to her personal best, she is well placed to secure one of the automatic qualifying spots or advance as a fastest loser.
Ogundiran Faces Tough Battle in Semi-final 2
Newly crowned Nigerian champion Blessing Ogundiran has been handed a difficult assignment in Semi-final 2.
The 10.98-second sprinter will race against Canada’s Sade McCreath (10.86 PB), Trinidad and Tobago’s Leah Bertrand (10.92), England’s Imani Lansiquot (10.99), British Virgin Islands’ Beyoncé Defreitas (11.14), Australia’s Ella Lane (11.29), Barbados’ Kishawna Niles (11.33) and Gabon’s P.L. Moulin (11.35).
Ogundiran’s personal best puts her among the leading contenders in the field, but she will need another sub-11-second performance to guarantee a place in the final.
Ezechukwu Out to Continue Dream Debut
After an impressive victory in her opening-round heat, Miracle Ezechukwu faces an even sterner challenge in Semi-final 3.
The youngster, who clocked 11.32 seconds to win her heat despite running from lane eight, owns a personal and season’s best of 11.15 seconds.
She will face Jamaica’s J. Smith (10.89 PB), New Zealand’s Zoe Hobbs (10.94), England’s Amy Hunt (10.97), Singapore’s Veronica Shanti Pereira (11.20), Canada’s G. Cole (11.17), Australia’s G. Harris (11.38) and Zambia’s Edna Ng’andula (11.48).
While the race features several established international sprinters, Ezechukwu has already shown she can rise to the occasion. Another personal-best performance could put her in contention for a place in the final.
Nigeria’s Chances
Among the Nigerian trio, Rosemary Chukwuma appears to have the strongest opportunity to reach the final based on experience and personal best.
Blessing Ogundiran also has a realistic chance if she reproduces the form that saw her claim the Nigerian title, while Miracle Ezechukwu enters as the outsider but carries momentum after her confidence-boosting heat victory.
Should all three Nigerians produce their best performances, Nigeria could realistically have two, and possibly even all three, athletes lining up in the women’s 100m final later on Tuesday.
The post Glasgow 2026: Chukwuma, Ogundiran, Ezechukwu Face Stern Test in Women’s 100m Semi-finals appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.
Athletics
Commonwealth Games 2026: Kanyinsola Ajayi Faces Omanyala, Saminu in Blockbuster Men’s 100m Semi-final
Nigeria’s sprint sensation Kanyinsola Ajayi will face one of the toughest tests of his Commonwealth Games campaign after being drawn in a star-studded Men’s 100m Semi-final 2 at the 2026 Commonwealth Games.
The Nigerian record holder is set to line up against an elite field that includes Africa’s fastest man Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya,
Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu, Wales’ Jeremiah Azu, South Africa’s Bradley Nkoana, England’s Elliot Jones, Trinidad and Tobago’s Omari Lewis, and Australia’s Rohan Browning.
Ajayi, who owns a personal best of 9.84 seconds, will be aiming to secure one of the automatic qualification spots or advance as one of the fastest losers into the final in what promises to be the most competitive of the three semi-finals.
Nigeria will have three representatives in the men’s 100m semi-finals, with Favour Ashe, Kanyinsola Ajayi, and Alaba Nathan Fakorede all chasing places in the final.
With Ajayi drawn alongside some of the continent’s biggest sprint stars, all eyes will be on Semi-final 2 as the race for Commonwealth Games medals intensifies.
Men’s 100m Semi-final Draw
Semi-final 1
Mark Otieno Babu (Kenya)
Rohan Watson (Jamaica)
Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon)
Benjamin Azamati (Ghana)
Lachlan Kennedy (Australia)
Favour Ashe (Nigeria)
Clarence Johnson (South Africa)
Duan Asemota (Canada)
Semi-final 2 (7:10 pm Nigerian time)
Elliot Jones (England)
Jeremiah Azu (Wales)
Abdul-Rasheed Saminu (Ghana)
Kanyinsola Ajayi (Nigeria)
Ferdinand Omanyala (Kenya)
Bradley Nkoana (South Africa)
Omari Lewis (Trinidad and Tobago)
Rohan Browning (Australia)
Semi-final 3
Kadeem Griffith (Barbados)
Mpho Koneshe (Lesotho)
Gift Leotlela (South Africa)
Alaba Nathan Fakorede (Nigeria)
Jerome Blake (Canada)
Ackeem Blake (Jamaica)
Edward Nketia (Australia)
Cejhae Greene (Antigua and Barbuda)
The post Commonwealth Games 2026: Kanyinsola Ajayi Faces Omanyala, Saminu in Blockbuster Men’s 100m Semi-final appeared first on Sports247 Nigeria.
Uganda’s 800M sensational woman runner Halimah Nakaayi qualified to the semi-final of the women 800M race at the on-going 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.
Nakaayi was third in the third heat with a time of 2:04.33 at the Scotstoun stadium on Monday afternoon.
England’s Georgia Hunter Bell won the race with 2:02.61 ahead of Jemma Reekie who came second with 2:03.09.
Nicole McKenzie finished fourth (2:05.07) as Abigail Abugire was fifth (2:06.31).
Adi Ceva Sova Lutumailagi and Tanesia Sylvina Gardiner finished 6th and 7th with times of 2:22.58 and 2:24.28 respectively.
Other qualified women:
Heat one had Great Britain’s Sarah Billings (2:01.51), Botswana’s Oratile Nowe (2:02.11) and Kenyan Janet Jepkemoi (2:02.30) as the best three runners.
Heat two had Kenya’s Lilian Odira (2:01.05), Isabelle Boffey (2:01.53) and Jamaican Kelly-Ann Beckford (2:01.63) as the best three.
In the same heat, Rwanda’s Claire Umitonze had her seasonal best timing of 2:06.95.
From heat four; Gabon’s Shafiqua Maloney was outstanding with 2:02.83 ahead of Rachel Klopfenstein (2:03.04) and Scotland’s Erin Wallace (2:03.15).
Uganda is also represented in other sports disciplines as Boxing, Swimming, Weightlifting, Judo and Netball at these games.
The post Commonwealth Games 2026: Uganda’s Nakaayi qualifies to semi-finals | 800M Women appeared first on Kawowo Sports.
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