TOP South African marathon runner Stephen Mokoka is going back to track to build up speed as part of his training schedule ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
Mokoka is part of the Athletics Gauteng North team for the first Yellow Pages interprovincial meet, which kicks off at 1pm in Germiston on Saturday.
Fresh from setting a new course record at the BestMed Tuks Half Marathon in Pretoria last weekend, Mokoka has confirmed he will compete in the 1500m event.
Mokoka, who is also doing well in cross country, is one of the five South Africans who have qualified for the marathon event in the 2012 London Olympics. The other four are Coolboy Ngamole, Lusapho April, veteran campaigner Hendrick Ramala and Othaniel Phahlane, in that order.
The South African Sport Confederation and Olympics Committee (Sascoc) have made it clear they will only send a team of three fastest marathoners in terms of the qualifying time.
"I have made up my mind that I will compete in the marathon, I know a lot of people think I will do the 10000m if I qualify in that event," said Mokoka.
The Tshwane University of Technology student is planning to meet Sascoc CEO Tubby Reddy to discuss the plans for the Olympics.
This will also include ensuring that he is one of the beneficiaries of the Operation Excellence (Opex) programme, used to assist elite athletes preparing for the Olympics.
"The problem is that I have to compete in an event in Europe and submit the receipts on my return, I won't go anywhere because I do not have money to spend," he said.
Reddy said: "I have spoken to Stephen, we have scheduled a meeting with him for this week to address his concerns with regard to the Opex programme."
Athletics SA said the interprovincial is not only individual glory, but athletes are also chasing a prize of R100000 to the winning province at the end of the two meetings, with the final being in Bellville on March 3.
Some of the top athletes who will participate include Gideon Trotter, Thuso Mpuang, Caster Semenya and Lebogang Moeng, among others.
"I'm happy everything is going well for me, after doing well in road running I have decided to go back to the track as part of my training for the Olympics," said Mokoka.
Mokoka's back on track
TOP South African marathon runner Stephen Mokoka is going back to track to build up speed as part of his training schedule ahead of the 2012 London Olympics.
Mokoka is part of the Athletics Gauteng North team for the first Yellow Pages interprovincial meet, which kicks off at 1pm in Germiston on Saturday.
Fresh from setting a new course record at the BestMed Tuks Half Marathon in Pretoria last weekend, Mokoka has confirmed he will compete in the 1500m event.
Mokoka, who is also doing well in cross country, is one of the five South Africans who have qualified for the marathon event in the 2012 London Olympics. The other four are Coolboy Ngamole, Lusapho April, veteran campaigner Hendrick Ramala and Othaniel Phahlane, in that order.
The South African Sport Confederation and Olympics Committee (Sascoc) have made it clear they will only send a team of three fastest marathoners in terms of the qualifying time.
"I have made up my mind that I will compete in the marathon, I know a lot of people think I will do the 10000m if I qualify in that event," said Mokoka.
The Tshwane University of Technology student is planning to meet Sascoc CEO Tubby Reddy to discuss the plans for the Olympics.
This will also include ensuring that he is one of the beneficiaries of the Operation Excellence (Opex) programme, used to assist elite athletes preparing for the Olympics.
"The problem is that I have to compete in an event in Europe and submit the receipts on my return, I won't go anywhere because I do not have money to spend," he said.
Reddy said: "I have spoken to Stephen, we have scheduled a meeting with him for this week to address his concerns with regard to the Opex programme."
Athletics SA said the interprovincial is not only individual glory, but athletes are also chasing a prize of R100000 to the winning province at the end of the two meetings, with the final being in Bellville on March 3.
Some of the top athletes who will participate include Gideon Trotter, Thuso Mpuang, Caster Semenya and Lebogang Moeng, among others.
"I'm happy everything is going well for me, after doing well in road running I have decided to go back to the track as part of my training for the Olympics," said Mokoka.
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