On a chilly Sunday in March, 30 000 athletes took to the streets of The Big Apple to conquer the New York Half Marathon. The conditions were far from ideal for Adriaan Wildschutt, a young athlete from Ceres in the Western Cape, but that did not stop him making history as the first South African to win the prestigious New York Half Marathon.

According to News 24, Wildschutt – the South African record holder over the distance – showcased his world-class credentials by storming to victory in 59:30, 11 seconds ahead of American Zouhair Talbi (59:41), who narrowly held off Gulveer Singh (59:42) in a battle for the lower steps of the podium.

The 27-year-old Wildschutt now adds a major race win to his SA 21.1km record time of 59:13, which he set at the Valencia Half Marathon last October to beat the previous long-time record of 59:36 held by Stephen Mokoka.

“First time running in New York, and coming into Central Park I was so happy; it was beautiful,” Wildschutt told reporters.

But Wildschutt is not the only South African athlete to cross a finish line first in Central Park. The New York City Marathon has been won in the past by two South African runners, the legendary Willie Mtolo in 1992 and Hendrick Ramaala in 2004.

For the bulk of Mtolo’s career he was banned from competing internationally until 1991 when the sports boycott associated with apartheid was lifted. The very next year Mtolo, who had already caused quite a stir in running circles, was invited to the famous city marathon as a guest. According to IOL, he was excited for his first trip abroad but was worried about the food.

“I love my phuthu, and I didn’t think they knew how to make it properly over there, so my wife and I snuck in a few bags of mielie-meal. We organised a small stove, and my wife went about making the phuthu in our room,” he chuckled

The win in New York took him to another level and changed his life forever. He went on to win several other races around the world, including Rotterdam (1993), Macau (2000) and Hong Kong (2001). Currently he organises charity runs for peace in South African townships, and has opened his own athletic academy called the Willie Athletic Club.

After winning the 2004 Mumbai Marathon, Hendrick Ramaala, a law graduate from the University of the Witwatersrand, went on to win the New York City Marathon a few months later. In 2006 he also won the men's Great North and South Runs and is a two-time national champion in the 5 000 metres.

He established a non-profit sports foundation called the Hendrick Ramaala Sport Foundation. The foundation's mission is to promote South African distance running to the world. The foundation, based in Johannesburg, ensures young, talented middle and long distance South African runners are taken care of in terms of everyday living needs, coaching and training.

So Wildschutt joins a small but very exclusive club of New York winners. Now we hope he goes on to join Ramaala and Mtolo in cementing his place among the world’s elite road runners, and also contributes to helping develop the next generation of South African champions.

On Sunday, 8th March, 30 000 cyclists rode around the spectacular Cape Peninsula in the world's largest individually timed cycle race, the Cape Town Cycle Tour. The event attracts thousands of riders not only from South Africa but across the globe and is a highlight on the international cycling calendar.

Of course, as the biggest event of its kind in the world, FinishTime were there, making sure that every cyclist ended with their FinishTime.

Timing 30 000 cyclists is no small undertaking. For the 109km race, FinishTime had 13 timing points (including the start and the finish) with 11 members of staff manning them. Over all the events, FinishTime received    557 176 raw reads which equates to over 300 000 split times for athletes.

FinishTime also launched their Sport Splits App at the event, allowing supporters to track their cyclists so they could be there at the right moment to cheer the riders on.

The FinishTime sporting calendars below come with a warning to check with the event organisers to ensure events have not been postponed or cancelled.

More event information, a regularly updated events calendar and results of all events timed by FinishTime can be found at www.finishtime.co.za and all results of events timed by FinishTime at results.finishtime.co.za

TWO OCEANS MARATHON: April 11 & 12,  2026

The Two Oceans Marathon is globally lauded as ‘the world’s most beautiful marathon, thanks to the natural splendour of its ultra marathon route. It also boasts South Africa’s biggest Half Marathon. Each year, courageous runners tackle the 56km ultra marathon  which sees them navigate Chapman’s Peak, one of the most spectacular coastal drives in the world.

CAPE TOWN CYCLE TOUR: Mar 8, 2026

Taking riders on a 109km route around the Cape Peninsula, the Cape Town Cycle Tour is South Africa’s must-do cycling event. With route highlights that include full road closure, boisterous roadside support and the glistening ocean views from Chapman’s Peak, this ride is a bucket-list item that needs to be ridden to be believed.

DURBAN ULTRA TRIATHLON: Mar 15, 2026

The 2026 Durban Ultra Triathlon will turn ordinary mortals into weekend legends. The swim is in Durban’s sparkling waters. The cycle route with full road closure gives you bragging rights for weeks, and the run? Well, that’s where you test whether your legs are still attached. This isn’t just a race; it’s a full-blown adventure festival