East African runners can be beaten, says Petersen

AS SOUTH AFRICAN road runners begin the countdown to Sunday’s Soweto Marathon, a former three-time winner of the famous race is crossing fingers that a local finally breaks the foreign stranglehold on the race.

Joshua Petersen, winner of the People’s Race in 1998 and 1999, feels the only way the locals can ensure the title stays on home soil is through teamwork.

“Back in our time we helped each other,” Petersen said yesterday at the FNB Stadium where the race will start and finish “Of course we were in competition, but we used to get together and train with each other, share tips on how one can improve and that is what helped us. I ran for Mr Price, but I trained with Fusi (Nhlapo) who was with Liberty.”

Even at races, Petersen believes, there is space to work as a team for South Africans.

“If you look at the east Africans, they generally run together at races. They help pace each other and that is how they manage to dominate. I think as South Africans we need to learn to do that. We should put the issue of running for different clubs aside and work together to win these kinds of races,” he said.

Petersen challenged clubs and road running associations to come together and work to ensure the sport that is growing very fast delivers top-class athletes who will be able to compete against foreigners who come to SA and take the titles.

The Soweto Marathon, for instance, was last won by a SA male runner back in 2011 by Michael Mazibuko. Since then it has been athletes from Lesotho and Ethiopia who have reigned supreme.

“It is very tough. And I realise now that this new route is even tougher than the one we ran on back in the day. And because of this, runners need to put extra effort. Their training has to be very intensive if they are to beat those east Africans. Kenyans and Ethiopians are also human and they can be beaten. The key for athletes must be discipline. Prepare well and get a good rest, sleep well,” Petersen said.

Unaware of the start list for Sunday’s race, Petersen could not say which of the locals he fancies to be among the challengers to end the foreign domination.

No doubt though that Ntsindiso Mphakathi will be there and thereabouts among the leading men.

If the men are having it hard being the first marathoners to run on to that hallowed turf of the FNB Stadium, not so the local women.

Irvette van Zyl won the race last year to end foreign dominance and she will be back to try and defend her title.

“I’m excited to be back. I didn’t think I’d be back so soon,” said the Nedbank Athletics Club runner who gave birth just five months ago. “It would be nice to win back to back.”