Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 60, July 2014 | Page 8

WHAT’S NEWS
South African Athletes on the World Stage

Stephen Mokoka

Dream Mile for Johan

Anel Oosthuizen

Wayde Breaks old SA record

Rising star Wayde van Niekerk smashed
the 15-year-old SA 400m record at the IAAF
Diamond League meeting in New York on
14 June. He finished second on the night to
World champion LaShawn Merritt of the USA,
but his 44.38 took down the old SA record of
44.59, jointly held by Arnaud Malherbe and
Hendrik Mokganyetsi.

Two SA Records for Walkers

Images: Cape Town Sport Photography & IMAGESA

Johan Cronje’s 3:50.70 for the mile at the
IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene
in the USA on 30 May saw him finish ‘only’
ninth, but in the fastest mile race in the
world for the year, his time not only took four
seconds off his PB, it was faster than Johan
Fourie’s 3:50.82 SA Record dating all the way
back to 1987.

Team SA brought two new national bests
home from the IAAF World Race Walk Cup in
China early in May. Anel Oosthuizen set a
new SA Junior record of 48:59 in the 10km,

while Pierre Vermaak’s 45:54 for 10km was
just under two minutes better than the previous
Youth road record.

Stephen up with the Best

Stephen Mokoka finished fourth in a world
class field at the Great Manchester Run 10km in
England on 26 May, crossing the line in 28:12
for a new PB by nine seconds. The race was
won in 27:52 by Moses Kipsiro of Uganda, the
Commonwealth 5000m and 10 000m champion,
with marathon world record holder Wilson
Kipsang of Kenya second (27:53), and multiple
Olympic champ Haile Gebrselassie third (28:00).

ITU Podiums for Tri Star Richard

Richard Murray recently collected two
consecutive podium finishes in the ITU World
Triathlon Series, finishing third in Yokohama,
Japan on 17 May, then climbing a step on
the podium to clinch second in London on 31
May. He was also fifth in the Cape Town leg in
April, and is currently fourth in the ITU points
rankings.

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READER SURVEY

Do you remember your first ever
race? What was it, and did it
kick-start the running bug?
Vimbai Mhike: “My first race was
the Colgate 15km in 2011 and I ran
my soul out for the first kilometre and
bailed. I felt like I ran 42km to the
finish.”
Colin Van Wyk: “My first race was
the Spookhill 15km. At the start, the
guys asked me, “So how many times
you done the race?” I responded that
it was my first ever race. They looked
at me in disbelief and said I surely
picked the wrong one. After 3km, I
discovered what they were referring
to…”
Caroline Lee: “I was asked by a
friend to run the Randburg Harriers

8

Night Race 10km as medical support
for her husband. I finished in 1:09.
Didn’t kick-start the running bug until
my second run at Two Oceans 21km.
You should have heard the racket at
the finish. I thought I was missing
cut-off! It was only for a sub-2:00,
but I knew nothing about running and
panicked. Then I caught the bug!”
Paul Kelly: “My first run was to be
my only run… the 1995 Cape Town

ISSUE 60 JULY 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

TO THE POLLS

How long after Comrades do you
hit the road again?

A month or so. – 55.3%
An extra 5kg & I’ll think about it from there. – 3.9%
I can’t think about running after Comrades! – 2.6%
When it gets a little warmer out. More than a month… – 7.9%
Why rest? The Monday after is perfect for a run out. – 30.3%
Check out our regular polls on www.modernathlete.co.za

Marathon. I just wanted to run a
marathon. At Mamre this month, I
ran my 600th official race. Did the
bug bite? The bug swallowed me.”
Dave Coetzee: “The 2001
Nando’s Half Marathon, which I
entered by mistake. I thought it
was a 10km. I did finish it, which
was quite a confidence boost.”

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