Latest news with #TwoOceans
IOL News
6 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Court denies Two Oceans Marathon chairperson's bid to silence blogger
The chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon tried to gag a runner from publishing what she deemed to be defamatory statements regarding her and the event. Image: Ryan Wilkisky/BackpagePix The Gauteng High Court has dismissed an urgent application from Antoinette Cavanagh, chairperson of Cape Town's well-known Two Oceans Marathon, in her bid to silence a runner and blogger who has raised concerns about various "irregularities" and 'problems' associated with races like the Two Oceans Marathon. Cavanagh turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, as she claimed that Stuart Mann - the author of a blog known as The Running Mann - has made defamatory statements on his blog. He shares information about road running events and what he calls 'exposé articles'. He has apparently brought public attention to a number of irregularities and problems that arose in races including the Two Oceans and the Comrades Marathon. Cavanagh approached the court for relief stemming from four posts which Mann published on social media. These include an article that appeared in December last year in which he queries whether Cavanagh is an appropriate person to chair the board of the Two Oceans. He set out apparent inconsistencies between her professional and running credentials as set out in a press release announcing her election on the one hand, and those details of her credentials which Mann was able to verify on the other hand. In April this year he dealt with certain controversies that emerged during the 2025 iteration of the Two Oceans, including a shortage of bronze medals, which Mann contends was due to Two Oceans accepting more entries than it had a permit for. He also insinuated that she has the board completely under her thumb, as well as publishing her CV which served before the board when she was elected chair. Cavanagh, in claiming the publications are defamatory and unlawful, wanted Mann to remove them and publish an apology. She also wanted an order preventing future publication of similar content. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. 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Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Mann disputed the urgency of the application and denied that the content of the posts is defamatory or otherwise unlawful. Judge Seena Yacoob commented that the 'chaotic' and 'vague' manner in which the application is pleaded does not commend itself to determination on an urgent basis, but she agreed to hear it on an urgent basis. She said both Cavanagh and the Two Oceans Marathon (cited as the second applicant) fail to set out a clear factual background. In addition, the judge said, the applicant's papers contain neither the dates of the publications, nor the specific statements or utterances complained of. Cavanagh, however, said that she considers each publication defamatory in its entirety. Judge Yacoob further noted that the publications consist of much material which is either not obviously defamatory, or not defamatory at all. 'Neither of the applicants have made out a case that the esteem in which they are held is of a particular type. Cavanagh does not favour the court with her own full history nor does she demonstrate that she is viewed with any particular esteem or that she has a reputation for integrity and good leadership.' The judge added that the Two Oceans does not contend that it has run its events in a manner reasonably beyond criticism and above board. It does not even contend, let alone attempt to demonstrate that it has conducted its events lawfully and in a manner compliant with its permits from the City of Cape Town. 'There is no attempt to demonstrate that any of the factual claims made in the publications is untrue, although there is a bald allegation that they are all false,' Judge Yacoob said in turning down the application. Cape Argus
IOL News
6 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Bid to silence a blogger's running reviews on the Two Oceans Marathon failed in court
PLAN ACCORDINGLY The head of the Two Oceans Marathon failed with her bid to gag a blogger, whose focus is on the country's major marathons, after he made certain allegations the popular Cape-based road running event. Picture: Ian Landsberg/ Independent Media Image: Ian Landsberg/ Independent Media THE Gauteng High Court dismissed the urgent application aimed at silencing a runner and blogger who has raised concerns about irregularities in major races, specifically the Two Oceans Marathon. The ruling underscored the tensions between race management and public accountability in South Africa's running community. Antoinette Cavanagh, chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon, who approached the court for relief, and directed her application at Stuart Mann, the author behind the blog The Running Mann, who has drawn attention to what he describes as "irregularities" in various running events, including the Two Oceans and the renowned Comrades Marathon. In court, Cavanagh claimed that Mann's online commentary contained defamatory statements, particularly focusing on four posts he shared on social media. Among them was a December article questioning her suitability to chair the board of the Two Oceans, which highlighted discrepancies between the credentials she publicly presented and those Mann verified. In his December 2025 "expose", Mann queries whether Cavanagh is an appropriate person to chair the board of the Two Oceans. He set out apparent inconsistencies between her professional and running credentials as set out in a press release announcing her election on the one hand, and those details of her credentials which Mann was able to verify on the other hand. In April this year he dealt with certain controversies that emerged during the 2025 iteration of the Two Oceans, including a shortage of bronze medals, which Mann contends was due to Two Oceans accepting more entries than it had a permit for. He also insinuated that she has the board completely under her thumb, as well as publishing her CV which served before the board when she was elected chair. Cavanagh, in claiming the publications are defamatory and unlawful, wanted Mann to remove them and publish an apology. She also wanted an order preventing future publication of similar content. Mann disputed the urgency of the application and denied that the content of the posts is defamatory or otherwise unlawful. Judge Seena Yacoob commented that the 'chaotic' and 'vague' manner in which the application is pleaded does not commend itself to determination on an urgent basis, but she agreed to hear it on an urgent basis. She said both Cavanagh and the Two Oceans Marathon (cited as the second applicant) fail to set out a clear factual background. In addition, the judge said, the applicant's papers contain neither the dates of the publications, nor the specific statements or utterances complained of. Cavanagh, however, said that she considers each publication defamatory in its entirety. Judge Yacoob further noted that the publications consist of much material which is either not obviously defamatory, or not defamatory at all. 'Neither of the applicants have made out a case that the esteem in which they are held is of a particular type. Cavanagh does not favour the court with her own full history nor does she demonstrate that she is viewed with any particular esteem or that she has a reputation for integrity and good leadership.' The judge added that the Two Oceans does not contend that it has run its events in a manner reasonably beyond criticism and above board. It does not even contend, let alone attempt to demonstrate that it has conducted its events lawfully and in a manner compliant with its permits from the City of Cape Town. 'There is no attempt to demonstrate that any of the factual claims made in the publications is untrue, although there is a bald allegation that they are all false,' Judge Yacoob said in turning down the application.
IOL News
7 days ago
- Politics
- IOL News
Court rejects Two Oceans Marathon chairperson's bid to silence blogger
The chairperson of the Two Oceans Marathon tried to gag a runner from publishing what she deemed to be defamatory statements regarding her and the event Image: Ian Landsberg/Independent Newspapers The chairperson of Cape Town's well-known Two Oceans Marathon failed in her urgent court bid to gag a runner, who is also the author of a blog in which he has mentioned a number of "irregularities" and 'problems' which he said had arisen in races such as the Two Oceans Marathon. Antoinette Cavanagh turned to the Gauteng High Court, Johannesburg, as she claimed that Stuart Mann - the author of a blog known as The Running Mann - has made defamatory statements on his blog. He shares information about road running events and what he calls 'exposé articles'. He has apparently brought public attention to a number of irregularities and problems that arose in races including the Two Oceans and the Comrades Marathon. Cavanagh approached the court for relief stemming from four posts which Mann published on social media. These include an article that appeared in December last year in which he queries whether Cavanagh is an appropriate person to chair the board of the Two Oceans. He set out apparent inconsistencies between her professional and running credentials as set out in a press release announcing her election on the one hand, and those details of her credentials which Mann was able to verify on the other hand. In April this year he dealt with certain controversies that emerged during the 2025 iteration of the Two Oceans, including a shortage of bronze medals, which Mann contends was due to Two Oceans accepting more entries than it had a permit for. He also insinuated that she has the board completely under her thumb, as well as publishing her CV which served before the board when she was elected chair. Cavanagh, in claiming the publications are defamatory and unlawful, wanted Mann to remove them and publish an apology. She also wanted an order preventing future publication of similar content. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Mann disputed the urgency of the application and denied that the content of the posts is defamatory or otherwise unlawful. Judge Seena Yacoob commented that the 'chaotic' and 'vague' manner in which the application is pleaded does not commend itself to determination on an urgent basis, but she agreed to hear it on an urgent basis. She said both Cavanagh and the Two Oceans Marathon (cited as the second applicant) fail to set out a clear factual background. In addition, the judge said, the applicant's papers contain neither the dates of the publications, nor the specific statements or utterances complained of. Cavanagh, however, said that she considers each publication defamatory in its entirety. Judge Yacoob further noted that the publications consist of much material which is either not obviously defamatory, or not defamatory at all. 'Neither of the applicants have made out a case that the esteem in which they are held is of a particular type. Cavanagh does not favour the court with her own full history nor does she demonstrate that she is viewed with any particular esteem or that she has a reputation for integrity and good leadership.' The judge added that the Two Oceans does not contend that it has run its events in a manner reasonably beyond criticism and above board. It does not even contend, let alone attempt to demonstrate that it has conducted its events lawfully and in a manner compliant with its permits from the City of Cape Town. 'There is no attempt to demonstrate that any of the factual claims made in the publications is untrue, although there is a bald allegation that they are all false,' Judge Yacoob said in turning down the application.
The Citizen
15-06-2025
- Sport
- The Citizen
OPINION: Onalenna Khonkhobe is a future Comrades champion
One of the toughest athletes in the country, Khonkhobe has proved he can win the prestigious ultra-distance race in KZN. A couple of years ago I was watching the Comrades Marathon on TV with a friend, and when an athlete I had never heard of hit the front in the early stages, I stated with unbridled confidence that he wasn't going to win. Nobody can win Comrades without taking a conservative approach in the first half. Around 60km into the race, with my friend questioning my credentials as a self-proclaimed road running analyst, I started backpedaling in an attempt to save face. Fortunately for me, Onalenna Khonkhobe eventually bailed, and as the gold medal contenders reeled him in during the closing stages of the race, I looked less foolish. Last year, Khonkhobe went on to win two of SA's biggest races, the Two Oceans ultra-marathon and the Soweto Marathon. Repeat performance And last week there was a sense of deja vu when Khonkhobe again hit the front of the 90km Comrades Marathon in the early stages, opening a massive gap on the rest of the elite field. This time, sitting in the media centre at the finish of the race, I again claimed that he had gone out too hard. When he stopped shortly after the halfway mark and grabbed his right hamstring, that was it, I said. He was done. And this time I wasn't chatting to a friend. I was surrounded by athletics reporters who all agreed. Some 10 kilometres later, while Khonkhobe switched between walking and running, we all maintained our stance. It's only a matter of time before he's caught. Another 10 kilometres down the road and we were all glancing at each other. Is he actually going to do this? Every time he stopped or walked, we thought Khonkhobe would bail. But he kept going. And going. And going. Incredible effort He did ultimately drop out when he was caught with less than 20km to go, but as much as he was ridiculed for his approach by spectators, those of us in the media centre shared a common consensus: This dude is unbelievable. Nobody should be able to hit the front at the start of Comrades, tear the road apart like a monster and hold on for that long. Khonkhobe has proved his ability as an athlete in recent years, but Comrades is a different beast. As others have learned, you can't win the race by hitting it head on. You have to be smart, controlled and patient. That's the only way to do it. But Khonkhobe's ability to hang on after going out hard – which he has now done twice – has been astounding. He's remarkably tough, but he can't keep treating Comrades like a sprint. If he gets his head together, approaches the gruelling race properly, and gives it a real go, it's hard to imagine anyone beating him. Khonkhobe is a Comrades champion. All he has to do now is win the race… and one day he will.
Daily Maverick
12-06-2025
- Daily Maverick
Judge slams Two Oceans Marathon leadership in defamation ruling — A costly legal misstep
The Two Oceans hierarchy is still licking its wounds and assessing its options after failing to gag blogger Stuart Mann via the courts. The Two Oceans Marathon hierarchy — led by its chairperson Toni Cavanagh — is keeping its cards firmly against its chest after a failed attempt to silence runner and blogger Stuart Mann for his articles in his Running Mann blog, which they deem to be defamatory and devoid of truth. Gauteng Division of the High Court in Johannesburg Judge Seena Yacoob threw out the matter on 5 June 2025, after a few weeks of mulling over its merits. In her judgment, Yacoob was scathing of the Two Oceans leaders, stopping short of saying they had wasted her precious time. She dismissed the matter with grade C costs against the Two Oceans and Cavanagh. The costs are expected to be about R400,000. In his articles Mann reported on alleged discrepancies in Cavanagh's professional CV, as well as questioning the chairperson's achievements as a runner. The runner/blogger also criticised the Two Oceans board following a permit breach that allowed more runners to start the 2024 edition of the race than had been stipulated. As a result of this permit breach, the City of Cape Town confirmed to Daily Maverick that it had indeed pulled its sponsorship of the annual event. However, Cavanagh denied this when she spoke with this publication in the aftermath of the race. Scathing judgment 'In this case neither of the applicants have made out a case that the esteem in which they are held is of a particular type. Cavanagh does not favour the court with her own full history nor does she demonstrate that she is viewed with any particular esteem or that she has a reputation for integrity and good leadership,' Yacoob wrote. 'Two Oceans does not contend that it has run its events in a manner reasonably beyond criticism and above board,' Yacoob continued. 'It does not even contend, let alone attempt to demonstrate that it has conducted its events in a manner compliant with its permits from the City of Cape Town. There is no attempt to demonstrate that any of the factual claims made in the publications are untrue, although there is a bald allegation that they are all false,' the judge stated. 'The applicants do not set out any factual background in the context of which I can conclude that the publications are defamatory. The applicants also do not plead facts from which the alternative questions of violations of the rights to dignity and privacy can be properly determined,' said Judge Yacoob. Despite this harsh criticism, the Two Oceans says it is still considering its options, hinting at a potential appeal despite this costly defeat. Ducking and diving When Daily Maverick reached out to Cavanagh after the judgment was passed, she said she was a bit busy with meetings and would avail herself when things had settled down. 'I need to pop into a meeting right now and I will be able to talk to you either later today (5 June) or tomorrow. Preferably tomorrow,' Cavanagh said. After confirming via WhatsApp that the following day (6 June) would still be fine to talk to her, Daily Maverick instead received communication from Two Oceans spokesperson Lindy-Joy Dennis — directing this publication to Rupert Candy (the Two Oceans' legal representative) for comment. Candy told Daily Maverick on Friday, 6 June, that his clients had 'released a public statement which speaks for itself'. Candy said his clients would 'not be making any further statement at this stage, but reserve their right to do so in the next two weeks'. Official Two Oceans response 'While the court accepted the urgency of the matter, the application was ultimately dismissed. We respect the Court's ruling, but are disappointed that the judgment did not substantively engage with the nature, tone, or personal impact of the specific language used — including statements which, in our view, extended beyond fair criticism into reputational harm and personal attack,' the Two Oceans said in the statement. 'We wish to clarify that the Court did not find Mann's statements to be truthful, justified, or ethically appropriate. The matter was dismissed on procedural grounds — not on the factual accuracy or moral acceptability of the comments made,' stated the Two Oceans. 'As an organisation, the Two Oceans Marathon has always welcomed scrutiny, transparency, and robust engagement — especially from the passionate running community we serve. However, it is essential that such engagement is carried out responsibly, respectfully, and with due regard for the rights and dignity of individuals,' it added. 'As custodians of the 'world's most beautiful marathon', we believe it is our duty to uphold the ethics of responsible engagement within the running community — not only on behalf of the organisation, but in the interest of all athletes, partners, sponsors, volunteers and stakeholders who are part of the Two Oceans Marathon legacy,' the organisation said. 'Our decision to pursue legal relief was not taken lightly, nor was it a frivolous attempt to silence criticism. It was a step taken to bring an end to ongoing public attacks that, in our view, undermined the integrity of the organisation and unfairly targeted individuals serving it in good faith,' the Two Oceans said. Vindicated Mann, however, believes the Two Oceans targeted him purely because of his reputation as a voice for the tight-knit running community. He said he was pleased to be vindicated by the courts. 'It was great to be 100% vindicated by a high court judge. She obviously considered it for a long time, about three weeks,' Mann told Daily Maverick. 'One of the things I've been exposing at Two Oceans with the current board has been the lies and the negligence. Ironically, that's what the judge ruled as well. I'm very happy with the result, because it was a bullying tactic on their side, to try to silence valid criticism of their ineptitude and negligence,' he said. 'In their statement they don't mention that they've received a cost order on grade C, which is the highest level. As well as the fact that the judge was completely scathing of them. But it's not surprising because it's what they've done, they've put their heads in the sand,' Mann stated. DM
