Best ready to conquer Cape Town

South Africans will be going for gold as they take on the best on home soil

SOUTH Africa’s best marathoners will race the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon this spring, pitting themselves against formidable opposition from the rest of the continent and beyond, but with strong hope of podium success.

The announcement at yesterday’s 100 day launch in the city of Africa’s greatest marathon that the event would incorporate the South African Marathon Championship for the first time further cements the Cape Town Marathon position as the country’s and continent’s premier event.

And the confirmation yesterday by three of the country’s four IAAF Gold-status athletes, Stephen Mokoka, Desmond Mokgobu and Nolene Conrad, that they will be aiming for podium positions on 23 September this year provides further evidence that the strongest ever South African challenge will be mounted at this year’s Cape Town Marathon.

Trained by South African distance running great, Hendrick Ramaala, Mokgobu has unfinished business in Cape Town and will be taking extra care with his pre-race nutrition.

Designated as one of two elite pace-makers for last year’s race, Mokgobu managed just 6km before a stomach complaint forced him from the race.

But in February this year the 29 year-old Mokgobu came of age with a last-gasp win over local favourite, Hayato Sonoda in Japan’s Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in his best ever time of 2:09.31.

Just three months earlier, Mokoka became the first athlete ever to win the Shanghai Marathon on four occasions, pulling away from Kenya’s Ernest Kiprono Ngeno in the last kilometre to win in 2:08:35.

Mokoka’s 2:07:40 marathon PB and his 27:38 10km road national best time give him confidence for his September date. “If the weather plays along and the pacemakers do their job well, the record will go,” said Mokoka.

“It is a privilege to run a top international event on our home soil, without having to worry about jet leg, foreign food and other challenges we face running overseas. Shanghai is a great marathon, so well organised and welcoming but Cape Town is special. I love running here. Winning against top Africans will be tough but I’m convinced a South African can win on their day.

Nolene Conrad might be the smallest athlete in the field for this year’s Cape Town Marathon, but will undoubtedly be one of the toughest. And fastest.

“I have worked on this event for the past two years as part of the organising team,” Conrad said.

“I said last year that my aim is to run this year as an IAAF gold-status athlete and it’s incredible to have achieved this through my top 25 place at the World Half Marathon Championship in Spain earlier this year.

“Being a proud Capetonian and South African it is important to deliver great performances in Cape Town. I’ll have my family, friends and supporters cheering me on.” THREE OF THE BEST: Three of South Africa’s four IAAF gold status athletes, Stephen Mokoka, Nolene Conrad and Desmond Mokgobu, announced their participation in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon at the event’s 100 day launch in the city yesterday.

ps only natural to start wondering if that good run was a fluke.

And there’s only one way to find out. Go back and push for a sub three at Africa’s only IAAF Gold Label Status race. It takes place on September 23 and with South Africa’s grandest marathon runner finally making it into the line-up, Stephen Mokoka, there is every possibility that this year’s edition is going to be lightning fast.

Desmond Mokgobu is another local runner likely to set the race alight – his splendid win in Japan’s Beppu-Oita Marathon earlier this year having given Hendrick Ramaala’s protege great confidence.

The Cape Town Sanlam Marathon is traditionally a firm favourite for many a social runners who like the comfort of getting their Comrades qualifying out of the way early.

Besides that though, this is the closest to a top class international marathon many of us would get as the New York, Berlin, Boston and London Marathons are out of reach.

And so it will be with the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in mind that when I go back to training once I’ve fully recovered from Sunday’s traumatic experience.