Modern Athlete Magazine 172 September 2024 | Page 4

the ed ’ s desk by SEAN FALCONER
Sean Falconer

THE ED ’ S DESK

the ed ’ s desk by SEAN FALCONER

Marathon Memories

I think everybody remembers their first marathon . It may be because it was a bucket-list item ticked off , or a life-changing experience , or it may be because it was a very hard day in the office , and a really humbling experience . When I look back on my marathon debut in 2001 , at the Old Mutual Cape Town Marathon , my abiding memories are of the incredible feeling of satisfaction when I finished , but also of a long walk up a very steep hill , and wondering how it was possible for a single kilometre to feel that long !

In those days , the Cape Town Marathon started and finished at the Old Mutual sports grounds in Pinelands . We used to run from there into the city centre , then up and over De Waal Drive and back down to Pinelands . The view from De Waal Drive made it a spectacular route , but it was also a tough route , with the big climb coming around the 30km mark , when runners start running low on glycogen reserves ( and hit the proverbial wall ). That view over the whole city , stretching all the way to the distant Stellenbosch and Hottentots Mountains , was what you focused on as you tried to keep your legs ticking over !
Stepping It Up
That year I had decided to ‘ stretch my legs ’ a bit and step up my racing beyond 21 kilometres for the first time . By then I had done around 50 half marathons , and felt I was ready for a bigger challenge , so I entered the Bay to Bay 30km , then ran the Red Hill 36km . Bay to Bay went smoothly , whereas the last few kays of Red Hill felt never-ending . I didn ’ t hit the wall badly , but running was showing me why race-day nutrition is so important .

You Never Stop Learning

ROAD RUNNING
In July , South African running legend Lesego Stephen Mokoka competed in his fourth Olympic Games , and today he is considered an elder statesman of SA running , but even at the age of 39 , he shows no signs of slowing down . He ’ s been breaking athletics barriers for nigh on 20 years , and says he wants to continue doing so , and that ’ s because he has never stopped learning along the way . – BY MANFRED SEIDLER
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Images : Action Photo SA , Lebohang Nkutha , Roger Sedres
E
very once in a while , an athlete comes along that stands out from the rest . An athlete who reshapes the athletic landscape , and carves out a legacy while still competing . A once in a generation athlete . American sprinter Michael Johnson was one such athlete . The inimitable Usain Bolt is another prime example of this legacy . And in South Africa we can look proudly upon Zola Budd , Elana Meyer , Wayde van Niekerk , and Stephen Mokoka .
Stephen will go down in history as one of those athletes who can boast an incredible range . In his career , he has won 26 national titles , including every distance from the 1500m all the way to the marathon , and he has proudly donned the green and gold colours of South Africa on 36 occasions , including those four Olympic Games as well as various World Championships , Commonwealth Games and African Championships .
He holds the SA Record for the half marathon – 59:36 , run in Gdynia , Poland at the 2020 World Half Marathon Championships , which took place at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic . His 10km SA Record of 27:38 stood from 2015 to 2023 , when it was finally broken by Precious Mashele ( 27:35 ), and in 2023 he ran the second-fastest ever marathon by a South African when he clocked 2:06:42 in Osaka . Only Gert Thys has gone faster , with his 2:06:33 SA Record run in 1999 . “ That record I still want ,” says Stephen . “ And I want it next year .”
Eye on the Future
Stephen takes nothing for granted . He has always been a hard worker , and has always mapped out his athletics career carefully . “ I knew from an early age on that I needed to pick my races carefully and not over-race . So , even though times where tough at times , I resisted the urge to race every weekend to earn some pocket money ,” he says , and it is a mantra he preaches all the time . “ Life is tough , no matter what you do , so I learnt to embrace the challenges and not let them derail me from the ultimate goal . In life , you have to hustle , and what you experience in life , you will experience in running .”
In typical Stephen fashion , his progression from track to road was meticulously planned . Starting his career as a steeplechaser in 2003 , still in the junior ranks , he quickly realised that hurdling the barriers was not for him after he finished seventh at the SA Championships in 2004 . By the next year – his first competing as a senior – he had left the steeplechase behind and was pounding the tartan in the 10,000m , finishing sixth at the SA Championships in Durban , behind the likes of Coolboy Ngamole , Mbongeni Ngxazazo and Richard Mavuso . Back then he was studying on the Vaal and earned his first international call up , running the 10,000m at the World University Games ( Universiade ) in Izmir , Turkey . Eight years later , and still studying , he was crowned World University Champion in the 10,000m .
Even at 39 , Stephen still gives younger athletes a run for their money
Going back to his roots for some track work
Then it was time for the marathon , and with the Red Hill experience fresh in my mind , I knew I would need to conserve energy for the second half of the race , and would need to try top up my tanks by eating during the race . The problem was that I struggled to eat shortly before or during races , as I invariably ended up with stomach issues , and even a sugar-infusion from fizzy drinks was touch and go , as that also sometimes hit my stomach the wrong way .
By the time we started climbing De Waal Drive , it felt like there was nothing left in my tank , but I was fortunate to be running with my good friend and clubmate , Christiaan Pieters , a veteran of many marathons and ultras , and he kept me going , both with advice and encouragement . I just gritted my teeth , focused on getting to the next water station , and looked at the view , but man did those kays feel long !
Once over the top , the downhill plummet all the way to the finish was most welcome , and I found my second wind . I even managed a fast finish as we ran back through the streets of Pinelands , with the distinctive voice of Harold Berman on the mic at the finish seeming to pull us in . Christiaan and I finished in three hours 54 minutes , and I could call myself a marathoner . It was a helluva experience that taught me a lot about both my body and my mind , and those lessons have stayed with me throughout the years of running that followed .
Learning on the Run
The reason this story of my first marathon came to mind is that in this edition of the mag , we have two stories that are focused on the marathon , and learning lessons along the way . First up is Stephen Mokoka , who at 39 is now the proverbial elder statesman of SA men ’ s road
ROAD RUNNING
Education was always part of his careful planning . “ I always knew that running was going to be part of my career and life , but I also knew that a running career is only so long . I am fortunate that 20 years later I am still running at the highest level , but I will go back to ‘ school ’ when my running career is done ,” says Stephen . More on that later .
Long Road to Success
In 2006 , Stephen made his first venture on to the roads , but initially limited that to the 10km distance , while still very much focusing on the track . Ironically , though , it was on the road that he won his first national title in 2008 , and it was in his very first attempt at the half marathon , when he won the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon , which doubled as the National Championships . That was the first of his eight national half marathon titles , and showed the first glimpses of what was to come in the marathon . That title also secured him his first international call-up on the roads , to race at the World Half Marathon Championships in Rio De Janeiro , Brazil .
Although still spending most of his time on the track , national success only came in 2009 when Stephen won both the 5000m and 10,000m titles . At that time , he was renowned for his devastating turn of speed , which came in handy at the 2010 SA Championships in Durban , when he beat the best the country had to offer in the 1500m . In that race , as the pack came around the top bend to start the final 100m , the experts were focusing on the likes of Juan van Deventer , Mthobisi Baloyi and Pharson Magagane for the win , but along came Stephen , racing around the entire field as he unleashed a devastating kick that saw him fly past the metric mile exponents to claim his one and only 1500m SA Title in 3:38.55 .
He still smiles when recounting that day . “ I tried something different that year . Instead of defending both my 5000m and10,000m titles , I decided to run the 1500m . I wanted to test my speed after I had run a hard 10,000m , because I wanted to see how the body would respond on tired legs ,” says Stephen , who had run the 10,000m the day before and set a 28:18.54 PB in defending his title .
Few realised then that this was part of a bigger plan , but Stephen was always the planner . He also made his marathon debut that year , finishing fourth in the Joongang Marathon in Seoul , South Korea , opening his marathon career with a 2:08:33 . At the time , that was the eighth-fastest marathon time run by a South African , and the second-fastest debut marathon time . Only Stephen ’ s
11 running , and yet he tells us that he is still learning more with every race he runs . ( He also says he still wants that SA Record in the marathon !)
Then we have an in-depth Q & A with Cian Oldknow , who made a sensationally fast marathon debut earlier this year , then went on to be SA ’ s top performer in the women ’ s marathon at the Paris Olympics . Her times have many pundits talking about a possible SA Record in the future , but she has her feet firmly planted on the ground about still being in the early stages of learning to race marathons .
For more marathoning material , also check out the Running Mann ’ s adventures in the Highveld Marathon , and Riël Hauman ’ s Stats & Facts column this month also has a strong focus on the marathon distance . Hope you enjoy the read , folks , and then lace up those running shoes !
Sean Falconer
Image : Chris Hitchcock
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If Stephen Mokoka is still learning lessons about the marathon , then I reckon I have a lot to learn !