Mokoka retains his crown after a tough race

Even Stephen Mokoka found yesterday’s Sanlam Cape Town Marathon tougher than usual. The man who beat a strong field to bag the event for a second year running – and his third title in four years – said afterwards the second half of the race was not what he was accustomed to.

“It was difficult, to be honest,” said Mokoka, who came in at 2:09:58 to defend his crown. “The route has changed because they [organisers] obviously wanted to show some scenic places. Last year we had a nice second half, but this time it was very tough.”

Nevertheless, Mokoka beat a strong field, which included Ethiopians Derseh Kassie (second place in 2:11:26) and Adere Maru, who finished third in 2:11:52.

Mokoka, whose 2018 run of 2:08:51 made him the record holder at this event, said he was grateful to claim victory after a challenging and injury-ravaged past few months.

“I’ve had a tough year. I was injured from May to July, hence I couldn’t compete at the world championships (which were held in Oregon, USA). It was a massive setback but to come here and not only run, but also win this prestigious event ... I really feel blessed. It’s all thanks to my management for sticking by me, and I will forever be indebted to them.”

Mokoka’s triumph last year came amid persistent rain, and it had looked like it would be the case again as overcast conditions greeted nearly 10,000 runners at Cape Town Stadium. About half an hour into the race, the skies cleared as the blistering sun shone on the athletes, prompting throngs of cheerleaders to line up the streets. 

For Mokoka, the unexpected heat made little difference. “We train under all conditions. So my body easily adjusted. Adjusting comes from training because we do different routes in all types of weather,” he said.

The 37-year old said he would now take a deserved two-week rest while savouring his win. “I will speak to my manager about what’s next. I will probably run another marathon in April. For now I’m happy with my achievement because it’s not easy to do a back to back. I have been here three times and I won every time. If God decides that I’m going to be victorious no one can change it.”