Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 122, September 2019 | Page 27

ROAD RUNNING
sparingly. Especially now, I wait a minimum of five weeks between races.” And that is
the most important lesson young runners can take from the current SA Record holder
for both 10km and the half marathon: Follow a plan, race sparingly, and be patient.
Breaking 70
That same formula has worked for Glenrose – a steady build-up – and her run in
Buenos Aires is a massive breakthrough for the 24-year-old, coming hot on the heels
of much success in the last two years. Early in 2018 she clocked a PB 32:59.05 in
the 10,000m at the Gauteng North Track and Field Championships, then used that
form to win the 2018 SPAR Women’s Challenge Grand Prix series of 10km races.
Breaking
Barriers
South African road running was taken up a significant notch
in August when Stephen Mokoka and Glenrose Xaba
both ran massive half marathon personal bests in Argentina.
This year, she posted 71:09 in the SA Half Marathon Champs in PE in July, which
was in itself a breakthrough, and came as a bit of a surprise to her. “I raced the
SA Half Marathon Championships because I wanted to be in the team to go to the
World Half Marathon Championships in 2020. I initially wanted to run a sub-75, and
did not expect to run so well there.”
Following her success in 2018, the question often asked was how well she
would do if she raced in a loaded field. Well, racing against a world class field in
Buenos Aires, she clocked 69:46 to move to third on the all-time list for South
African women, behind Elana Meyer and Colleen de Reuck. Also, thanks to official
intermediate timing being taken during the race in Argentina, she also lowered her
10km PB from 33:14 to 32:59.
A large factor in Glenrose’s improved times this year is a more aggressive approach
to racing, which has boosted confidence greatly and helped her to shatter her half
marathon best. This should have a significant effect on her career, as she should
now receive more invites to international races, which pay substantially higher than
races in South Africa. Also, the athletics fraternity is now wondering just how good
a marathon runner she could be. “She is small and solid,” says Wesley Botton,
athletics correspondent for the Citizen Newspaper. “That time means she has big
talent for the marathon, and if she takes her time in getting to the marathon and
hones her 10km and half marathon capability, she could be South Africa’s next big
female marathoner.”
– BY MANFRED SEIDLER
T
he Media Maratón 21k de Buenos Aires took place on 25 August in the
capital city of Argentina, with two South Africans amongst the starting
runners. Come the end of the race and both had not only run new PBs,
but also broken through significant time barriers. First up was Stephen Mokoka,
who clocked 59:50 to finish fourth in a blisteringly fast men’s race and set a new
SA Record, and in the women’s race, Glenrose Xaba became just the third South
African woman to break through the 70-minute barrier as she finished fifth in 69:46.
Breaking 60
By running 59:50, Stephen became the first South African to break 60 minutes
for the half marathon on a record-legal course, and took a massive 17 seconds
off the long-standing SA Record of 60:07, set by Hendrick Ramaala way back in
1997. Hendrick went on to run 59:20 and 59:41 in 2000 and 2002 respectively, but
these times were run in Lisbon on what was deemed an aided course, and thus
not recognised as record times. The Lisbon course is effectively downhill from the
start to the finish point, which gives runners an advantage, hence the term ‘aided
course.’ In contrast, the Buenos Aires course is IAAF-certified, meaning it complies
with all regulations set by the world governing body to make a course legal, which
means that any records run on it are ratified and acknowledged.
Stephen’s performance shows that the 34-year-old is in the shape of his life going
into the IAAF World Championships in Doha Qatar at the end of September,
where he will be running in the marathon. While Stephen himself says that you
cannot really extrapolate a predicted marathon result from a half marathon time,
it nevertheless shows that his training and racing regime is working out. “I am
really happy with the results, of course. It shows I am really in good shape, and
does build the confidence for Doha, but at World Championships you are racing
differently. You are not chasing times, and the conditions in Doha are totally unique,
with the race starting at midnight. So I cannot say that because of that time, I could
be winning in Doha.”
When asked why he is performing so well, Stephen says it is all to do with the
steady progression he has followed throughout his career. “You cannot start
with the marathon, you need to build up to it. So I started on the track and cross
country, with a few short road races, and built up from there, but I always raced
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