TRAIL
Using some road races to work on his speed , Remaketse found himself racing Stephen Mokoka in the 2024 MiWay Wally Hayward Marathon .
REAPING THE BENEFITS
Madiba ’ s initiative is clearly starting to pay dividends , as seen in the great results of 26-year-old Remaketse Lekaka , who is one of the promising talents to benefit from the project . The young man who hails from Mokopane in Limpopo and now resides in Mabopane in Pretoria , is starting to become a dominant force on the trail running circuit , having won the Wolkberg Trail Run 65km , Magoebas Ultra 50km and Eco Adventure Trail 25km , and finishing second in the Ultra-Trail Drakensberg 65km . Other promising athletes benefitting from the initiative are Ofentse Mokgale and Jimmy Mofokeng , who also appear to have bright futures ahead of them in the sport .
“ I think getting the right mentorship from the likes of Thabang Madiba , especially at the start of the year , has made a huge impact in my career . Also , turning my focus to trail running and forgetting about road running is starting to bring me good results ,” says Remaketse . “ This year , more athletes are starting to notice me because of the performances I have been putting in . It comes with the hard work I ’ m putting into training , plus choosing the races wisely . You can ’ t do all the races without having a proper rest and then expect to deliver . So , I plan which races I will do in order to improve as a runner . There is more I ’ m targeting , too , including being a world class athlete in future .”
THAT PODIUM FEELING
In a breakthrough year , Remaketse Lekaka has finished on the podium at a number of trail events , often on the top step . As they say , it ’ s a nice feeling to have to get used to …
Remaketse is supported by Thabang Madiba ’ s If I Can You Can initiative .
with these world class athletes without producing fast times . On my side , I don ’ t have that speed , but I have endurance and a never-say-die attitude ,” he says .
“ So , I ’ m more suitable as an athlete in trail running , and that is why I have managed to adapt with such ease . There are lot of opportunities , too , as there are few athletes focusing on trail . On the other side , most of the time , we know each other well and how we are bound to perform in races . The really hard part is travelling to the races , as you must have money for that . Most of the races are happening far away , and to get there is a bit of a challenge ,” he adds .
Nevertheless , Remaketse ’ s scintillating form and regular podium finishes this year have seen him being rewarded with an invitational entry to compete in the SkyRun 100 on 16 November in the Eastern Cape . This self-supported and self-navigational race starts in Lady Grey and traverses the remote Witteberg Mountains , on terrain
that is often not favourable to running , with many steep climbs , and most runners end up running through the night . That is why is it is described as an extreme mountain running challenge , considered by many athletes to be the toughest trail run in South Africa . As the race website says , if you finish the SkyRun 100 and become a SkyRunner , it will change your life .
Remaketse ’ s rise in the sport has also been under a good guidance – the time he was introduced to road running , he used to train under the watchful eye of Samuel Molokomme . Molokomme was one of the country ’ s top marathoners in the 90s and was also part of the South African squad that travelled to the 1993 World Athletics Cross Country Championship in Spain . “ The person who played a crucial role in my athletics development is Samuel Molokomme . He is a father figure to me , as he helped sharpen up my running skills ,” says Remaketse .
“ I joined his training group in Pretoria because most of the people were applauding his work , and at first , it was tough , because I didn ’ t know much about running , as I only started in my high school days . I was a dancer before , without paying much attention to sport , but I think making a switch into it was a good choice . In my training , Samuel used to say I ’ m built strong and I can do much better in ultra and trail running . I never paid much attention at first , because I thought it would be difficult to adapt – sometimes , lacking knowledge in some things is what makes us doubt ourselves – but when I started to listen to his advice , I have never looked back from there .”
TAKING TO THE TRAILS
Remaketse ’ s switch to trail running was relative a gamble for the young athlete , mainly because he didn ’ t know what to expect from the uneven terrain , nor did he know what opportunities would lie ahead . However , he says he is pleased that he listened to the advice provided by Molokomme to give trail running a go . “ To succeed in road running , you must have speed , because you can ’ t go toe-to-toe
This is also why the race attracts world-class trail athletes , and Remaketse says he is looking forward to making his 100km debut in such a prestigious race . “ Some time ago , when I logged into my Instagram page , I received a message from the SkyRun organisers asking me if I am interested to run the race this year . I couldn ’ t believe it at first , but I quickly agreed . SkyRun is one the biggest races in the country . I have heard that there are no marshals or kilometre markers throughout the route , but that just makes it a more interesting race . The important thing is that I ’ m now being seen as one of the top athletes , and that ’ s why I ’ m starting to get Invites like this , and that inspires me to continue performing well .”
INTERNATIONAL GOALS
When asked about future plans and goals , Remaketse readily admits to the lofty goal of becoming an international runner , both in terms of representing his country and competing in the big races outside South Africa . “ In life , you must dream big . As I have started to get recognition here in my own country , then I must start to have other goals in life . The biggest one right now is to run overseas in the next three to five years . And that ’ s possible if I can remain consistent throughout . Then I would also start to attract sponsors and make more money for myself and my family . It ’ s up to me .”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Tathe Msimango is a Durban-based freelance sport journalist , podcaster and digital content creator , with a particular interest in all things running . He is a regular contributor to various platforms and outlets , including Kaya FM , The Top Runner and Blizzard magazine in the UK .
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