Mokoka’s great chance
Elsewhere, Conrad SA women’s hope to lift Cape Town title
STEPHEN Mokoka has flown SA’s long-distance running flag for several years, but seldom has he had as big a chance to lay down a ‘hall of fame’ marker as he will when he lines up at the start of Sunday’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
Since its relaunch in 2014, the Cape Town Marathon has been dominated by athletes from East Africa. But Mokoka, currently South Africa’s leading marathoner, has yet to race Cape Town, and hopes are strong that the Joburg athlete will do the business on the biggest marathon stage in Africa.
Mokoka’s 2hr 07min 40sec personal best is 61 seconds quicker than Negewo’s 2016 race record and there is every chance that the South African could triumph this weekend. Mokoka thrives when the stakes are high and appears to draw energy from home town support.
He also lifts his performance when running with teammates. In this respect, his Gauteng teammates, Desmond Mokgobu (winner of this year’s Beppu Marathon in Japan), Xolisa Tyali (second South African last year) and Eastern Cape’s Michael Mazibuko (third in 2015), could play an important role.
It will not be easy for the South Africans, however, as they will be up against a strong international line-up. Kenyan Albert Korir’s 2:08:17 is the fastest in the field after Mokoka and the 24-year-old has been winning marathons in the past twelve months, notably last year’s Vienna Marathon in 2:08:40.
His compatriot, Kipsang Kipkemoi is not far off the pace, while Ethiopian Fikre Assefa is just a few strides behind.
If Johannesburg-based Mokoka is ‘home town favourite’ in the men’s race, Nolene Conrad will undoubtedly be Cape Town’s golden girl in the women’s. Conrad’s top 25 position at this year’s World Half Marathon Championships in Spain earned her IAAF gold label status and a gold medal for her on Sunday will go down as one of the finest sporting achievements of the year.
Conrad will start as one of the favourites to win the national championship, ahead of quality athletes of the calibre of Christine Kalmer, Mapaseka Makhanya, Cornelia Joubert and Fortunate Chidzivo, but will be up against world-class competition in the battle to be crowned Cape Town Marathon champion.
Conrad’s strongest competition could come from Namibian Helalia Johannes, while Australian Ellie Pashley edged out Conrad by just one position at the World Half Marathon championships earlier this year. Cape Town-based British athlete, Tish Jones, who won the title in 2016, will be at the starting line in a quest to repeat her victory, although there is a degree of uncertainty over her current form and fitness.
Inevitably there are several East Africans who will be targeting podium places, with 22-year-old Ethiopian, Askale Adula best placed to follow in her compatriot Betlehem Moges’ victory footsteps last year.