…after Cape Town race is cancelled at the 11th hour
Leemisa Thuseho
LESOTHO short distance and half-marathon rising star, Kamohelo Mofolo, will have to wait until next month to make his official marathon debut (42.2km).
The 19-year-old, who has impressed this season in shorter races such as 10km and 21km events, had planned to run his first marathon at the 2025 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on Sunday.
However, the race was cancelled just an hour and a half before the scheduled start due to adverse windy weather conditions, as organisers feared for participants’ safety.
In a bid to soften the blow, race sponsor Sanlam has announced that affected runners will be offered a sponsored entry for either the 2026 or 2027 edition of the event.
Speaking to the Lesotho Times this week, Mofolo admitted the cancellation was painful.
“That was really disappointing; we were all prepared and eager to run,” he said.
Despite the setback, Mofolo sees it as an opportunity to further prepare for his marathon debut.
“Although I was ready to make my debut, the cancellation has given me another chance to train and focus for my first marathon,” he said.
Following the Cape Town Marathon disappointment, Mofolo’s coach, James McKirdy, based in the United States, revealed that the young athlete has secured a spot in the Honolulu Marathon on 14 December 2025.
“We are disappointed that Cape Town didn’t work out. We believe he could have contended with the best athletes. But now, we can reset, rebuild, and focus on a race in December,” McKirdy told the Lesotho Times.
McKirdy added that while the Honolulu Marathon was not initially part of Mofolo’s schedule, the organisers, impressed by his performances over the past two years, generously offered him a slot.
“They have been keeping an eye on him and love what they’ve seen in his development,” he said.
Although the Honolulu Marathon is not considered a fast course, McKirdy believes Mofolo has a strong chance of finishing on the podium.
“I believe he has every chance of winning this prestigious event,” he said.
This will mark Mofolo’s first international race outside Africa, as most of his competitions have been in South Africa.
Mofolo has enjoyed a stellar season.
In July, he set a new national 10km record of 27:47 at the 2025 Absa Run Your City Series in Durban. He also claimed victory at the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon in Port Elizabeth on 28 June, finishing in 1:00:52 — just 35 seconds shy of the national half-marathon record of 1:00:17 set last year by Tebello Ramakongoana at the Garry Bjorklund Half Marathon in the United States.
