Mokoka to have crack at Thys’ national record

As good as he is, and as well as he has done over the classic distance, most South Africans have had only one real chance to watch Stephen Mokoka racing a marathon, and tomorrow will offer a rare opportunity to witness the country’s best 42km runner in action.

Mokoka has made nine competitive appearances over the marathon distance, all overseas, and only one of them has been televised in SA. It was also his worst performance of the lot.

At the 2012 London Olympics, we watched him give the lead group a shake before fading to a disappointing 49th in 2:19:52.

What we haven’t had a chance to see are his other eight mara- thon races, most of which have been superb by local standards.

In those largely unseen efforts, he has dipped under 2:11:00 on seven occasions, and last year he became the first man to win the Shanghai Marathon four times.

Powered by a compact frame, an explosive burst of speed, keen tactical nous and nearly a decade of international experience, the 33-year-old athlete will turn out in his first competitive 42km race on home soil when he leads the domestic charge at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. Though he has previously run marathons in SA, they have all been relatively obscure races by his own standards and have merely formed part of his build-up to major events.

While his personal best of 2:07:40 places him fifth in the all-time SA marathon rankings, and he needs to find another 67 seconds to challenge Gert Thys’ national record, Mokoka’s consistency in the gruelling event suggests he could crack the mark in the right conditions.

Despite facing a quality field in Cape Town, he is likely to outclass his international opponents if he is at his best, and if the weather plays its part, a special perfor- mance could be on the cards.

No South African has won the Cape Town Marathon since it was relaunched a few years ago, evolving since into the country’s most prestigious road race, and while Nolene Conrad also has a chance in the women’s contest, Mokoka will turn out as the firm favourite to take the men’s title.

Though the race record of 2:08:41 suggests Thys’ national mark of 2:06:33 remains safe, Mokoka could become the first SA man to dip under 2:09:00 on a standard course on home soil.

With the organisers claiming they have made adjustments to the course to ensure quicker times this year, however, and with a local crowd throwing their weight behind Mokoka and the likes of compatriot Desmond Mokgobu and Sibusiso Nzima, the versatile athlete from Pretoria could make history today.

Already the fastest South African over the 10km (27:38) and 15km (42:44) distances, Mokoka seems destined to break the SA marathon record, which has stood for more than 19 years.

And if he can produce anything close to the types of performances we never had an opportunity to witness due to a lack of media coverage, we could see something special in the Mother City.

We might be justified in feeling short-changed by missing his superb marathon exploits in foreign events, but let’s hope Mokoka has saved his best race for the fans at home.