Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 54, January 2014 | Page 9

WHAT’S NEWS
Solid Sixth for Rene in Japan

Stephen Wins in Shanghai

René Kalmer finished sixth in the
Yokohama Marathon in Japan on
17 November, clocking 2:32:39, her
third-fastest time ever. She ran her
personal best of 2:29:59 on this same
course when she finished fifth two
years ago. After the race, she said
she was satisfied with her run, but a
little disappointed that she could not
maintain the 2:28 PB pace she was on
up to 30km, due to a strong headwind
in the second half and suffering
inflammation in both big toes!

Stephen Mokoka scored a good win in the
Shanghai Marathon in China on
1 December, coming home in 2:09:29 to
beat Beraki Beyene of Eritrea by 19 seconds.
This was Stephen’s best time in 2013, and
the second fastest by a South African after
Lusapho April’s 2:08:32 that won him the
Hannover Marathon in Germany in May.
Previously, Stephen finished second (2011)
and fourth (2012) in Shanghai, so he clearly
enjoys this race! (Stephen and Lusapho also
ran the two fastest half marathon times
by South Africans for 2013 – 1:02:45 and
1:03:07 respectively.)

Wally’s 24-hour Record Goes

N

Johan van der Merwe broke Wally
Hayward’s 60-year-old SA 24-hour record
in the Soochow International 24-Hour
circuit race on 7 December in Chinese
Taipei, covering 258.064km to finish
third, and add just under two kilometres
to the 256.4km mark set by Wally in
November 1953 in England. Johan is the
only SA runner to pass the 250km mark
since Wally and went into the event with
a PB of 253.076km, focused on breaking
the record after he narrowly missed it
by 3.4km in a race on his home track
in Polokwane in April. He also beat the
African 24-hour record of 257.881km.

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