After a heartbreaking finish at the World’s Most Beautiful Marathon last year, Onalenna Khonkhobe is back with unfinished business at the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon powered by BYD, which takes place on Saturday 11 April 2026.

The 2025 defending champion, who stormed to victory in 3:09:30 in 2024, looked set to claim back-to-back titles as he hit 50km with the leaders. But a cruel bout of cramps on the descent from Constantia Nek shattered his charge, forcing him out with less than 6km to go.

…and Khonkhobe is coming back to settle the score.

Nearly a year later, that moment still lingers, and Khonkhobe is coming back to settle the score. He is also competing for his share of a prize purse worth R2 177 400. The event boasts prize money totalling R2.6-million.

“I would like to win the Two Oceans as I did in 2024. Last year I couldn’t even make it into the top 10,” explains Khonkhobe, who is a two-time Two Oceans gold medalist who lives and trains in Klerksdorp, where he is coached by Piou Mpolokeng.

Determined to make it count, the 2025 City2City 50km Marathon champion has put in the work since the start of the season. After admitting he raced too often in 2025, the consistent performer, who also finished third at the African Bank Soweto Marathon and claimed victory at the Prince Mangosuthu 52km Ultra, has taken a more measured approach this year, racing less and focusing on peak performance when it matters most.

“I made the mistake of over-racing last year, and I made the decision not to repeat that mistake,” shares the 30-year-old who hails from Taung in the Northwest Province.

Khonkhobe did line up at the Motsepe Foundation Race to Gender Equality Half Marathon at the University of Pretoria on 15 March, clocking 1:05:07 to secure second place behind Kenya’s Joseph Koech, with Bennet Seloyi rounding out the podium.

“I started training early in January, but I haven’t raced much,” he says. “Motsepe was my first real test of the year. It was a solid run, though a tough climb around 12km checked me. I just needed to gauge where my fitness is ahead of Cape Town.

…There’s less pressure, so I can run freely.”

“Defending a Two Oceans title is never easy, and this year, I’m not the defending champion. There’s less pressure, so I can run freely.”

Chris Goldschmidt, Chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon NPC: “Onalenna Khonkhobe is an exceptional athlete, and we know that competitors of his calibre always return stronger after a challenging race. The ultra event is known for producing dramatic and inspiring performances, and we’re excited to see how Onalenna approaches the race this year as he looks to make amends.”

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