CONTENTS
In the Mag this Month
Welcome to our 162 nd edition . You can click on the page numbers below to go straight to the article of your choice .
C o l u m n
WARMING UP
SA ’ s Biggest Running Publication www . modernathlete . co . za
Thabang Mosiako
Now One of SA ’ s Greatest
Reflections on Riga
SA Success at Road Running World Champs
Voting Time
For 2023 World Athletes of Year
6 8 10 16
The Ed ’ s Desk : Things to Be Happy About
I found a lot to smile about in recent weeks , and we ’ ve covered several of those stories in this edition . – BY SEAN FALCONER
News : Vote for World Athletes of Year
Voting for the 2023 World Athletes of the Year is open , and all fans of the sport are invited to have their say . – BY WORLD ATHLETICS
Runner ’ s High
A great race image can make you wish you had been on the start line of that race … like these pics from around the country .
Stats & Facts : October Memories
Historical highlights , SA ’ s fastest ever half marathon men , a Cold War showdown , and the latest list leaders . – BY RIËL HAUMAN
On the cover
Thabang Mosiako clocks a sub-60 half marathon at the World Road Running Championships . Photograph by Guntis Berzins for World Athletics
ISSUE 162
October 2023
Rory Petzer
Pg 20 Pg 34
Pg 28
Pg 8
Pg 44
Funny Man of Running
Brandon ’ s BIG Goal
Unfinished Business for Trail ’ s Hulley
Track & Field
Seb , Mondo , Marli & More
Cover Image : Guntis Berzins for World Athletics
Running Mann : Becoming a Marathon Tourist
1
Pg 58
Pg 68
C o
C o
C o
ROAD RUNNING
l u m n
l u m n l u m n
20 28 32 34 42 44 50 54 56
Dreams Do Come True
It ’ s been a fantastic year for Thabang Mosiako , and there appears to be more to come from this talented athlete , but it wasn ’ t so long ago that he was close to hanging up his running shoes . – BY MANFRED SEIDLER
Riga Reflections
The exciting new ( well , almost new ) World Road Running Championships took place this month , and the event proved a hugely successful outing for Team South Africa . – BY RIËL HAUMAN & SEAN FALCONER
Sport Man Says : Rise of the Superwomen
After years of SA road running being somewhat stuck in the doldrums in terms of global competition , there is a new generation of local female athletes making their mark on the world stage . – BY MANFRED SEIDLER
The Running Comic
As one of the funniest guys of SA running , Rory Petzer is ready to take on more ultras ... as long as he isn ’ t away from his dogs too long , and he is left in peace to think of his next jokes . – BY SEAN FALCONER
Milestone Marathoner
Renowned Kwaito musician Kabelo Mabalane ran his 50th marathon , it was more than just a running milestone for him , because the race also coincided with the 21st anniversary of his sobriety .
The Running Mann : Become a Marathon Running Tourist
I was recently asked to do a talk on the 10 best marathons in South Africa ( and how to run them ). I enjoyed the trip down memory lane , and decided to adapt the talk into a blog . – BY STUART MANN
That ’ s a Run Your City Wrap
The Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K brought the curtain down on the record-breaking 2023 series , fittingly with two course records . – BY SEAN FALCONER with the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series
Ask Yourself Why … Riga 2023 is the Future
Having attended the first World Athletics Road Running Championships in Riga , Latvia , I saw first-hand how the sport is changing in exciting and forward-looking ways . – BY NORRIE WILLIAMSON
Gebre Finally Wins in SPAR Series
After finishing second in the first five races of the 2023 SPAR Grand Prix Series , Ethiopia ’ s Selam Gebre finally took deserved line honours in the final leg . – BY SEAN FALCONER with the SPAR SERIES
2 ISSUE 162 | www . modernathlete . co . za