Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 54, January 2014 | Page 10

Bring
on the
Big City
Races!
For the past few years, Lusapho April has
been one of South Africa’s leading male
runners on the road and in cross country,
representing SA on the world stage many
times and posting leading times in both the
half marathon and marathon, but this past year
he enjoyed his best year yet, and now his sights
are firmly set on doing even better in 2014.
– BY SEAN FALCONER

A

s Lusapho April crossed the finish line of the 2013 ING New
York City Marathon, he threw his head back with a grimace of pain
and exhaustion, hands clasped on his forehead as he fought to
get more air into his lungs. He had just run 2:09:45 to finish third
in one of the world’s biggest races, despite suffering cramps in
the last few kays, and he had done it in the company of some
of the world’s best marathoners, including defending champion
Geoffrey Mutai, London Marathon champion Tsegaye Kebede,
Olympic and World Champion Stephen Kiprotich, and 2012 Boston
Marathon winner Wesley Korir.
Even though he had won the Hannover Marathon in Germany earlier in
2013 in a PB and course record 2:08:32 – his second win here after also
winning in 2011 – Lusapho was only considered an outside bet for the
podium in New York, but he ran with the lead group right from the start,
hitting halfway in 1:05:07 and finishing behind Mutai (2:08:24) and Kebede
(2:09:16) in difficult running conditions. His third place was the highest
placing by a South African in any of the big city World Marathon Majors
since Hendrick Ramaala finished third in New York in 2007.

HUMBLE MAN
Third in New York capped what can be considered Lusapho’s breakthrough
year, not only in terms of race results, but also for his career, although the
softly-spoken 31-year-old from the Eastern Cape is just taking it all in his
stride in his unassuming way. “The year started on a high. I came to Cape
Town for the Two Oceans Half and I got a sponsorship from adidas. That
boosted my confidence and I was feeling like a professional runner for
the first time,” he says. “Then I headed off to Germany, where I won the
Hannover Marathon in a PB 2:08 and course record. That opened the door
for me to go run in New York – we contacted the person who deals with
elite athletes and he was keen and said I can come.”

10

ISSUE 54 JANUARY 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Images: Courtesy adidas & Karen Zimmerman

In the Lead

Lusapho is now very much on the international
marathoning radar, and his next big race will be
the oldest and most prestigious of the big city
races, the Boston Marathon in April. “I want
to be the first South African male to dip under
2:06, but now my focus is on trying to win the
big city races. I’ve got nine more years left in my
legs to do well in marathons, and with the approach
my coach and I are using, we’re not going to change
anything, we’re going to stick to what works for me.”
Lusapho has been coached by Karen Zimmerman
since 2001 and they have developed a very strong
bond. “We’ve got a good relationship and I think
we make a good combination. We don’t worry
about the competition, we just think about