Midrand Striders runner, Vuyiseka Marotya sets new PBs at the Total Sport Two Oceans Ultra Marathon

The Total Sport Two Oceans Ultra Marathon (TTOM) returned this past weekend in Cape Town and over 13 000 runners from across the country came together to participate in the 56km ultra marathon.

The race on April 13 took runners through some of the most picturesque locations in Cape Town such as Chapman’s Peak Drive and Constantia. The following day, more than 19 000 runners participated in the half marathon.

The half-marathon is 21.1km long and offers a great alternative for those not up to running the ultra yet.

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One of the standout runners at the event was Vuyiseka Marotya, a member of the Midrand Striders running club, who participated in both the ultra and half marathon.

Marotya was determined to do better than last year in both races and had been preparing since then.

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“I have lined up for my third TTOM ultra marathon and second half marathon this past weekend,” said Marotya.

“I started training for Two Oceans in December 2023 – my plan was to do better than last year in both races, I went to Cape Town very prepared – mentally physically and emotionally.”

Despite the cold and windy weather on the day of the race, she persevered and managed to beat some of her personal bests (PBs). She finished with a PB of 05:23:00, beating last year’s time of 05:51:00.

“The morning of the race was windy and cold; I was cold until after 30km but I kept going because my goal was bigger than the weather conditions. It was really a good day in the office – I enjoyed everything about the race,” she explained.

Marotya’s remarkable resilience, stamina, and pace led her to set new records for herself, making her an inspiration to other runners.

“I then laced up for the 21km on Sunday[April 14] as a recovery run. I completed the 21km with another PB of 02:19:00. I will definitely be going back next year for another PB.”

Her determination and success have made her a role model for aspiring athletes.

The TTOM was a resounding success, with Gerda Steyn winning the women’s ultra marathon for the fifth consecutive year, and South Africa’s Onalenna KhonKhobe winning the men’s ultra marathon.

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