Masai leads Kenyan podium sweep as Haitope dominates at Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon

Foreign athletes dominated the Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon powered by BYD in The Mother City this morning (12 April) as Felix Kibet Masai of Kenya won the men's race in the fastest time since 2017 (on the current course which has been in use since 2012), while Namibia's Lavina Haitope dominated an open women’s race to produce the biggest victory of her road running career.

Lining up as an unknown quantity against many of his South African opponents, Kibet Masai, who set a 10km personal best of 27:24 in France on 4 April, shocked the field with a flying start. Accompanied by his compatriots Shadrack Ngumbau Musyoka and Joshua Mengich, the trio clocked 15:35 for the first five kilometres before crossing halfway in 31:27. With the damage done, all the East Africans had to do was maintain the pace. Although George Kusche who finished as the first South African in fourth position tried valiantly to give chase, Masai, Musyoka and Mengich stayed ahead cresting Southern Cross Drive together roughly 20 seconds clear.

The Kenyans swept the podium as Masai recorded a commanding 1:03:17 victory, which was just one second outside Namakoe Nkhasi's 1:03:16 course record set nine years ago.

Masai lead a Kenyan sweep of the men's Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon powered by BYD podium. Photo Credit: TTOM Media.

As his South Africa representative Chris Bruwer explains, Masai is part of a group of Kenyans that have based themselves in The Mother City under the to prepare for the Absa RUN YOUR CITY CAPE TOWN 10K on 10 May. He hopes that Masai’s approach to training and racing will inspire local athletes.

"Felix is an athlete that is represented by Golazo Sports Marketing. I met the owner of Golazo in December when he was here in Stellenbosch and we agreed for some of his athletes to come for a training camp and run for our club (Go Tyme Bank Running Club). The thinking is that with Yanga (Malusi) and William (Kaptein) living with them for a month and Bruce-Lynn Damons also training with them, our local elites can get some exposure to the type of training and intensity that the guys who are running under 28 minutes for 10km do. The idea is for them to improve and learn," said Bruwer.

Haitope dominated the women's race. Photo Credit: TTOM Media.

In the women's race, Haitope was unchallenged as she breasted the tape in 1:14:36. The Nedbank Running Club athlete who won the 2025 Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon in Gqeberha, finished almost two minutes clear of 2022 champion Fortunate Chidzivo of Zimbabwe (1:16:29) and more than three minutes before Emma Pallant-Browne crossed the finish line in third position (1:18:09). A podium finisher in 2013 and the owner of three Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon powered by BYD top ten finshes, Haitope used her knowledge of the course to her advantage.

"It was tough. It was very hilly. I'm happy with my time. I decided to go early because the pace as too slow. I just ran my pace. I had to pick up the pace because they were running 3:30 min/km, which was too slow so I had to pick up. I'm happy."