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Johannesburg - Lungisa Mdedelwa led the South African men’s team to their best finish in eight years at the World Half Marathon Championships in Nanning, China on Saturday.
Mdedelwa, 26, placed 15th overall, spearheading the men’s squad to fifth place in the team competition for the nation’s best performance since the trio of Shadrack Hoff, Hendrick Ramaala and Josiah Thugwane finished fourth in Brussels in 2002.
Kenyan Wilson Kiprop held off four-time champion Zersenay Tadese of Eritrea to win by four seconds in 1:00:07 in the individual race.
Kiprop also led the Kenyan men’s team, with three to count, to the gold medal.
Mdedelwa clocked 1:02.58, falling less than half a minute short of the personal best he set when he placed fourth at the national championships in Port Elizabeth in July.
Samuel Segoaba was the second South African home in 18th place, crossing the line in 1:03.09, with Boy Soke following in 24th position in 1:03.46 and Zolani Ntongana finishing three seconds later in 26th.
Sibusiso Nzima, who secured silver at the national 10km and half-marathon championships this season, finished a disappointing 50th in 1:07.26.
Louisa Leballo was in the best shape of her life, finishing 31st in a personal best in the women’s race.
With little support, however, from the likes of Irvette van Blerk and Thozama April, the women’s team finished ninth, trailed only by Mexico who came 10th and last.
Leballo, 32, clocked 1:15.11 and smashed her 10-year-old career best by nine seconds.
She was followed home by Zintle Xiniwe who crossed the line in 1:16.21 in 37th place.
Mpho Mabuza, the last of the South Africans to count towards the team competition, was 43rd in 1:19.24.
In-form Van Blerk, who won the national 10km and half-marathon titles this year, trailed in 49th position, with April claiming 50th place of 51 finishers.
Kenyan Florence Kiplagat, the 2009 Boston Marathon champion, won the women’s race in 1:08.24, holding off Ethiopia’s Dire Tune and leading Kenya to gold in the team competition.
