At only 20 years of age, Kamohelo Mofolo has run himself into the record books, finishing 11th at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in 2:08:50 and claiming second place on Lesotho’s all-time marathon rankings.
One of Lesotho’s top marathon runners, Kamohelo Mofolo, has delivered yet another remarkable performance at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on 24 May, cementing his status as one of the country’s brightest long-distance talents.
The 20-year-old crossed the finish line in an impressive time of 2:08:50, finishing 11th overall in a highly competitive field. Despite narrowly missing out on a top-ten finish, Mofolo achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first Southern African athlete to cross the finish line.
According to his coach, James McKirdy, who also coaches Lesotho marathon national record holder Tebello Ramakongoana, Mofolo’s performance now places him second on Lesotho’s all-time marathon rankings, behind only Ramakongoana.
The race itself produced history as Ethiopia’s legendary Mohamed Esa shattered the course record with a time of 2:04:55, the fastest marathon time ever recorded on African soil.
“At just 20 years old, he finished ahead of several established marathon stars.”
For Mofolo, the result is another major achievement in what has already been a breakthrough year. The young athlete currently holds Lesotho’s national 10km record after clocking 27:47 earlier this year at the ABSA Durban 10km.
His impressive season also includes victory at the Hollywood Bets 10km race in Durban, where he set a new course record. In that race, Mofolo finished in under 28 minutes, marking his third consecutive sub-28-minute performance and further highlighting his exceptional consistency over the distance.
Mofolo’s Cape Town performance becomes even more impressive considering the calibre of athletes he managed to outperform. At just 20 years old, he finished ahead of several established marathon stars, although he was unable to get the better of all of them.
Another strong performance for Lesotho came from Tukiso Motlomelo, who finished 19th in a respectable time of 2:16:30. The legendary Kenyan marathoner Eliud Kipchoge crossed the finish line in 16th position with a time of 2:13:29.
Both Mofolo and Motlomelo are coached by McKirdy, who believes Mofolo has firmly established himself as Lesotho’s second-fastest marathon runner behind Ramakongoana.
With a national 10km record already to his name and now a marathon time of 2:08:50, Mofolo continues to demonstrate why he is regarded as one of the most exciting long-distance prospects in the country. At only 20 years of age, his latest performance suggests that even greater achievements could lie ahead for the rising star.
