Twins make Comrades history

2003-06-16 21:23

Durban - Olesya Nurgalieva feels it hardly mattered that it was her twin sister Elena who won the Comrades and not her as the victory meant just as much.

The 27-year-old Russian twins made Comrades history on Monday when they finished first and second in the 78th running of the race.

"This victory of my sister is my victory as well," explained Oleysa. "You cannot separate that. It means the same. I'm not jealous at all."

Apart from taking the top two positions, the Russians also filled five of the top ten places.

Unlike the men's section that was dominated by South Africa, only two local women featured in the women's top 10.

Farwa Mentoor, who finished 8th, almost 25 minutes after Elena Nurgalieva's 6:07:46, beat compatriot Yolande Maclean (6:44:39) into ninth place.

The Nurgalieva sisters had run together for 70 of the 89 kilometres before Elena broke away, eventually finishing over four minutes ahead of Oleysa.

Until the Comrades, the sisters had achieved virtually identical personal best times. Asked whether it was "lonely" running at the front by herself, Elena merely shrugged before adding: "We never intended to run together. At the 70 kilometre mark we separated and it was fine," she said after the race, through an interpreter.

'In better shape'

"The only reason why we separated was that today I was in better shape."

What makes their feat that much more remarkable was that the Comrades marked the first occasion that they had run outside of their native Russia.

"I was overwhelmed by the crowd and how they supported me," Elena added. "I've never run in such a big race and when I took the lead, the motorcyclists closed around me and it made the occasion even more special."

Elena raised a number of eyebrows when she started walking when she entered Kingsmead Stadium as she neared the end of the race.

She denied however that she was exhausted.

"Actually," she laughed," when I entered the stadium I didn't know where the finish was. I thought it was at the entrance."

The twins, from the Ural Mountains, only started taking marathon running seriously four years ago. Prior to that, the sisters were cross country skiers - a sport they still teach as physical educators.

"We trained at altitude with lots of hills, so I suppose that helped quite a bit," said Elena.

"But we both have fulltime jobs. We can only train after we've worked all day. It doesn't leave much time to go out." Elena also offered a possible reason why the Russians had dominated the top 10.

"A soft, easy life is not helpful when you compete in these races."

Elena pocketed R160 000 for her effort, the same amount won by men's winner Fusi Nhlapo.

- SAPA