Marathon rated as one of world’s best

THE SANLAM Cape Town Marathon celebrated the fifth anniversary of the rejuvenated version of the race in fine style of the weekend, with 20 000 participants, a South African champion and two marathon race records in what has generally been acclaimed as its “best-ever”.

Changes to the route were given a rousing acclamation, as the difficult initial stretch through Paarden Eiland last year was replaced with an attractive circuit along the Atlantic Seaboard between Green Point and Sea Point, with local and international participants singing the praises of the route as one of the world’s best.

And with a new level of IAAF race accreditation in the pipeline, Cape Town Marathon is poised to move to even higher levels as it consolidates its position as Africa’s top marathon.

“We will be sending out notification with criteria of a new platinum-level series of international races,” IAAF’s road running manager, Alessio Punzi, remarked from Europe yesterday.

“We will be inviting applications to be considered for road races in 2020.

“The platinum-level races will have even stricter criteria and will be aimed at major marketable events with a track record of success.

“The IAAF has no control over the ‘major marathons’ grouping of six marathons around the world, but the platinum-level series will provide a similar exclusivity and advantages to these events.

“Clearly Cape Town has proved itself in the past and from reports this year’s event was even better with two race records being established, so I would assume Cape Town would be a contender.”

Meanwhile Cape Town Marathon champion, Stephen Mokoka, who outwitted and outran his East African rivals to race to a record-breaking 2:08:31 sec victory on Sunday, will need to be alert if he is to remain on top of his new family “challenge”, when his wife, Zintle, gives birth to their first son within the next days.

The Johannesburg-based athlete won R265 000 for first position, R100 000 for being first South African, R100 000 for the course record and R15 000 for running faster than 2 hrs 10 min, totalling R480 000. He will also earn additional prize money for winning the national championship.