hence I wanted to run a low 59 and let my record stand a bit longer .”

Victory in the 2016 FNB Cape Town 12 ONERUN

15km , 20km and 21.1km – he clocked 27:38 for 10km in the UK in 2015 to claim that record .

Overall , Stephen finished seventh in Poland , just 47 seconds behind Ugandan winner Jacob Kiplimo , who set a championship record with his 58:49 finish . Precious was 14th in 1:00:24 , improving his best by four seconds , while Collen clocked 1:00:51 to to finish 23rd and improve his PB by a massive 71 seconds . Precious remains sixth on the all-time list of SA performers for this distance , but Collen rocketed up to seventh with this performance . The SA trio were fifth in the team competition . Meanwhile , Glenrose finished 16th in the women ’ s race with a time of 1:09:26 , four seconds faster than her previous best . She remains third on the all-time SA list , with only Elana Meyer and Colleen De Reuck having gone faster .

Looking back on the race , Stephen says he always

knew he was on course for a fast time , but it was not the easiest run . “ The course was very tough – firstly , it was running loops , which we are not used to , and there were three quick turns , two of them 180 degrees , which affected our rhythm . The weather in the morning was a bit cold , but during the 10 degrees Celsius is actually good for the half marathon – if you have hydrated enough the day before , you can survive well .”

“ I went there with the aim to run a 56:40 at 20km , so I knew I was on pace to hit my targets . When I hit 42:18 at 15km , I thought I could hit 56:18 at 20km and then run a low 59 overall . From 15km to 20km I actually lost a bit of time , but then picked up again in the last kilometre . It ’ s good to improve my SA Record , but I still think the record is a bit soft , as there is so much talent in this country . I think there are strong , talented young guys coming through that will soon beat that ,

In terms of the team performance , Stephen says they were ultimately disappointed with their fifth-place finish , as they had hope to make the team podium . “ When we met at ASA to fetch our clothing for the trip , I said to the other guys , we are doing this for ourselves , paying for ourselves , but we have an opportunity to do something as a team for South Africa . We are all friends and respect each other , and thus we are able to discuss team tactics and try to help each other , so we planned to run as a team . The aim was to run three hours , because we saw from previous World Champs records that the winning team usually runs 2:59 as a team , the second team 3:00 and the third 3:01 , so we thought a 3:00 would put us on the podium . We knew that if we could stay close to each other , we could challenge , but unfortunately , other countries ran faster as a team . Still , we all ran PBs , and the teamwork and spirit were a highlight of

this trip .”

One of the reasons Stephen and his fellow South Africans wanted to attend the World Champs event is that their World Athletics ( WA ) athlete label depends on their position in the WA World Ranking , and a good performance at a World Champs event can push them to a higher label status , or help them retain their current label status for another year . Stephen is SA ’ s only Gold Label athlete at present , and this opens doors for him in terms of invites to top tier global events , including ‘ Big City ’ marathons , as Label races must have a minimum of six men and six women from the pool of athletes whose status corresponds to the Label of the race . So , for example , a Gold Label race must have at least 12 of the world ’ s best specialists at that particular distance .

With his Gold Label status for 2021 all but ensured , Stephen can try to plan for the coming year . Normally , he only commits to two big races a year at his focal marathon distance , so as to stay fresh and to focus

Stephen has proudly worn the Green and Gold many times

Stephen has represented South Africa many times over the years , in road , cross country and track events , with his first outing in SA colours at the 2005 Universiade ( World Student Games ), where he finished ninth in 10,000m . A year later he collected his first medals on the international stage when he finished second in the 10,000m and third in the 5000m at the 2006 African Student Championships , and in 2007 he took bronze in the 10,000m at the Universiade .

He was called up to a senior SA quad for the first time in 2008 when he competed at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships as well as the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships . He competed in both these events again in 2009 , finishing eighth in the half marathon champs . In 2010 he managed a 22nd position at the World Cross Country Champs , and in 2011 , Stephen competed at both the African Cross Country Champs as well as the World Cross Country Champs , placing sixth at the continental level ( second in the team rankings with South Africa ) and fifteenth on the global stage .

He won the silver medal in the 10,000m at the 2011 Summer Universiade and went on to make his world debut in the 10,000m at the 2011 World

Championships in Athletics , where he finished 13th . The following year he finished eighth in the African Champs 10,000m and was selected to run the marathon at the 2012 London Olympics , finishing a disappointing 49th after suffering severe cramps in the final kilometres . He went on to place eighth at the 2012 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships .

He made two international appearances in 2013 . First he won the 10,000m and was runner-up in the half marathon at the Universiade , then he placed 20th in the 10,000m at the Track and Field World Champs . In 2015 he finished sixth in the 5000m at the All Africa Games , and the following year ’ s highlights included winning the 10,000m at the African Champs , then competing at the Rio Olympics and taking 18th place in the 10,000m final .

In recent years , Stephen has competed in the 2017 World Champs 10,000m , the 2018 World Half Marathon Champs and the 2018 Commonwealth Games 10,000m ( where he finished sixth ). At the 2019 World Champs , he ran the marathon and finished fifth , and his most recent outing for his country was in Poland in the rescheduled World Half Marathon Champs , where he set the new SA Record as he finished seventh .

Images : Roger Sedres / ImageSA & Tobias Ginsberg