PHALULA SMASHES MARATHON PERSONAL BEST

Competing in the second 42km race of her career on Sunday, Diana-Lebo Phalula shattered her personal best at the Enschede Marathon in the Netherlands.
Phalula clocked 2:33:48 to take fifth place, chopping more than five minutes off her previous best of 2:38:55 set in Cape Town last year.
The performance lifted her to second place, behind Christine Kalmer, in a hard-fought qualifying race for the Rio Olympics.
Elsewhere, Benedict Moeng took ninth place at the Hamburg Marathon in Germany in 2:13:17, less than than three minutes outside his career record, as he climbed to sixth spot in the contest for three available places in the men’s 42km team at the multi-sport Games.
Veteran Hendrick Ramaala took 49th position in 2:24:52, missing out in his final attempt to qualify for a record fifth Olympics.
At the Brighton Marathon in England, Xolisa Tyali ended fifth in 2:17:26, and he too lost out in his last qualifying effort ahead of the April 30 deadline.