{"id":10787,"date":"2026-04-15T08:49:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-15T08:49:29","guid":{"rendered":"\/?page_id=10787"},"modified":"2026-04-16T07:48:57","modified_gmt":"2026-04-16T07:48:57","slug":"national-commissioner-honours-top-performing-correctional-services-athletes-at-the-two-oceans-marathon-2026-national-commissioner-conquers-two-oceans-24km-long-trail-run","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"\/?page_id=10787","title":{"rendered":"National Commissioner Honours Top-Performing Correctional Services Athletes at the Two Oceans Marathon 2026 National Commissioner conquers Two Oceans 24km Long Trail Run"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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National Commissioner (NC) of the Department of Correctional Services, Mr Makgothi Thobakgale officially recognised and rewarded outstanding athletic excellence by presenting trophies to the top-performing Correctional Services athletes who secured top positions at the prestigious Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 2026, powered by BYD.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recognition ceremony celebrated the dedication, discipline, and competitive spirit of members of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) Athletics Clubs nationwide. These athletes represented the Department with distinction in both the 56\u202fkm Ultra Marathon and the 21\u202fkm Half Marathon, held on 11 and 12 April 2026, respectively.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

An avid runner himself, NC Thobakgale has played a pivotal role in building a strong departmental athletics team. He also participated in a 24\u202fkm long run trial. Drawing on first-hand experience of the demanding Cape Town terrain, he acknowledged the difficulty of navigating the city\u2019s challenging hills and steep descents.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Addressing the top performers and fellow participants, the NC emphasised that the athletes\u2019 achievements reflect not only personal success but also promote a strong culture of wellness, fitness, and teamwork within the DCS.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe award these trophies to the top performers as a way of appreciating their achievements, particularly because the Two Oceans Marathon is extremely demanding and physically tough,\u201d said NC Thobakgale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He also commended the Pollsmoor Athletics Club, which emerged as the best-performing club in the 56\u202fkm event at this year\u2019s marathon. \u201cIt is encouraging to see the running competition among regions becoming increasingly strong. Among DCS athletes, Pollsmoor secured first and second positions in the men\u2019s 56\u202fkm category, as well as a runner-up position in the women\u2019s race, achieved by an athlete who participated as a novice in this event. This clearly shows that the club is developing positively and moving in the right direction,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the 56\u202fkm Ultra Marathon, the DCS athletics team secured silver medals for athletes who completed the race under four hours, while Sainsbury medals were awarded to those who finished under five hours. Bronze medals honoured runners who completed the ultra-marathon under six hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For the 21\u202fkm Half Marathon, DCS participants were awarded bronze medals for crossing the finish line within three hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond medal recognition, participants were commended for finishing within the cut-off time and for improving their personal best performances. Athletes who were unable to complete their marathons were encouraged to return to training, reflect on their experiences, and come back stronger in future competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Official Results for DCS Top Performers:<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

56\u202fkm \u2013 Top Three Males<\/strong><\/td>56\u202fkm \u2013 Top Three Females<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1. Masonwabe Bosiki (3:52)<\/strong> \u2013 Pollsmoor, Western Cape   2. Malakhiwe Ysterman (3:53<\/strong>) \u2013 Pollsmoor, Western Cape   3. Joel Kutu (4:21) \u2013<\/strong> Kgo\u0161i Mampuru II, Gauteng<\/td>1. Ziphindile Dlamini<\/strong> (5:07) \u2013 Witbank, Limpopo, Mpumalanga & North West(LMN)   2. Nokhanyo Mjobo (5:25)<\/strong> \u2013 Pollsmoor, Western Cape   3. Sindisiwe Nzimakwe (5:51) <\/strong>\u2013 Westville, KwaZulu-Natal<\/td><\/tr>
21\u202fkm \u2013 Top Four Males<\/strong><\/td>21\u202fkm \u2013 Top Three Females<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
1. Joel Kutu (1:37)<\/strong> \u2013 Kgo\u0161i Mampuru II, Gauteng   2. Kagiso Thoka (1:39)<\/strong> \u2013 Overberg, Western Cape   3. Mnoneleli Mafu (1:41)<\/strong> \u2013 East London, Eastern Cape   4. Johann Claassens (1:42) <\/strong>\u2013 Grootvlei, Free State and Northern Cape<\/td>1. Sindisiwe Nzimakwe (2:11)<\/strong> \u2013 Westville, KwaZulu-Natal   2. Matlakala Sebolai (2:15)<\/strong> \u2013 Kimberley, Free State & Northern Cape (FS&NC)   3. Nicholize Visagie (2:19) \u2013 <\/strong>West Coast, Western Cape<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

National Commissioner (NC) of the Department of Correctional Services, Mr Makgothi Thobakgale officially recognised and rewarded outstanding athletic excellence by presenting trophies to the top-performing Correctional Services athletes who secured top positions at the prestigious Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 2026,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2851,"featured_media":10796,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10787"}],"collection":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2851"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=10787"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10787\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10799,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/pages\/10787\/revisions\/10799"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/10796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=10787"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}