Can Mokoka make it three in a row at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon?

A new route filled with icons and opportunities, the return of the masses, serious wheel-chair speed racing, a local action hero, party fun and entertainment and the excitement of the first year of Abbott Marathon Major candidacy – those are just some of the reasons for Capetonians to come out onto the streets in droves tomorrow morning (Sunday 16 October) for the running of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon (SCTM).

The SCTM has grown in stature in recent years and now compares favourably with most big city marathons around the world. Just when it appears that it can’t get better, the following year’s edition proves otherwise. Expect tomorrow’s race to hit new heights as the close partnership between the SCTM organising team, the City of Cape Town and Western Province Athletics takes the race to new levels.

Tomorrow’s route has ironed out some of the past twists and turns and found a way to ditch the notorious temporary bridge over Buitengracht Street, which virtually ruled out a competitive wheel-chair race. It includes running on Nelson Mandela Freeway for the first time, some moderate hills and a passage through the heart of District Six which will undoubtedly add a focus of interest for the race.

While SCTM steered an innovative path through the COVID pandemic, which included hosting the Cape Town Marathon simultaneously in three South African cities in 2020 and rolling out the best virtual race experience in the business, nothing beats the real thing and after a cautious return last year, numbers are returning to their pre-COVID levels, with a total of 25 000 runners taking part in the bouquet of events which make up the weekend’s running festival.

‘Formula One’ wheelchair racing has become associated with the world’s top city marathons and some of the world’s finest exponents will be in action in Cape Town tomorrow at twice the speed of most of their foot-striding counterparts. South African wheelchair athlete, Ernst van Dyk, one of the world’s best in recent years, has been instrumental in bringing several leading wheelchair athletes to race in Cape Town, for a number of them the fourth marathon in successive weeks following Berlin, London and Chicago.

American Aaron Pike is firm favourite to win, although the American is not discounting the chances of Van Dyk himself, while Spanish athlete, Rafael Jimenez should also be in the mix.  In the women’s contest, African record holder, Noemi Alphonse from Mauritius is hoping for warm weather tomorrow and likely starts favourite ahead of Abbotts Marathon Major regular, Shelly Woods of Britain.

Stephen Mokoka has raced SCTM twice and twice broken the tape.  At 37 years Mokoka believes he is at his marathon prime and is determined to retain his 100% winning record in Cape Town. “I believe I’ve virtually become a Capetonian, as I’ve raced here so often,” joked the Johannesburg athlete at the elite athletes’ media briefing yesterday. “I love to race here and will be hoping for another good run on Sunday.”

Mokoka, who raced to a world record over 50km in Gqeberha in March, will have strong crowd support, with Cape Town fans having adopted South Africa’s leading marathoner as their own, but he will have to be at his best tomorrow to see off the challenges both from foreign athletes as well as his compatriots.

From the internationals, Kenyan Raymond Kipchumba Choge and Ethiopian Dereh Kindie Kassie have the resources to put Mokoka under pressure, both boasting marathon best times faster than 2 hr 9 min.  Choge, 34, is at the top of his game, having run to within 21 seconds of his best six months ago with a 2:08:32 at the Vienna Marathon, but judging from his demeanor at the media briefing it will be the 23-year-old Ethiopian, Kassie, who will be the biggest threat to Mokoka.  With a half-marathon best time of 59:18, he’s the fastest half-marathoner in the field and he plans to enhance his personal best time of 2:08:23, achieved in Barcelona in May.

“I have done the preparation and will be aiming to run 2hrs 7 min on Sunday,” Kassie stated confidently. If he achieves his goal he will improve Mokoka’s 2:08:31 race record (set in 2018) by over a minute.

Apart from Mokoka, South African hopes of podium glory lie with the two sub-2hr 12min ‘Sibs’ – Sibusiso Nzima and Siboniso Sikhakhane, whose marathon best of 2:11:49 was achieved in last year’s SCTM.  Nzima, who won the Cape Peninsula Marathon in February and ran 61:38 at the national half marathon championships in June, will want to atone for his nightmare run at SCTM last year and improve on his marathon best of 2:11:43.

Philani Buthelezi (2:13:16 best), David Manja (2:13:33), Givemore Mudzinganyama (2:14:11) and Phillimon Mathiba (2:15:24) are other local athletes who will be looking for top positions tomorrow with Ethiopians Habtamu Nagu (2:11:42) and Refera Madesa (2:14:58) also hoping to get in on the action.

The women’s field is sprinkled with east African talent, with several athletes with aspirations of a win in Cape Town. Meseret Dinke Meleka of Ethiopia looks a solid bet for the title, boasting the fastest marathon in the field, her 2:25:12 having been set in Valencia, Spain, less than a year ago.  Her win in the Geneva Marathon in Switzerland in May this year in 2:26:22 will give her confidence heading into Sunday’s race.

Meleka’s compatriot, Mdina Deme Aremino’s marathon best is just a minute slower than Meleka’s, while Kenyans Judith Cherono (2:27:23) and Tecla Kirongo (2:28:22) will also likely be in the mix. Ethiopian Zinashwork Yenew Ambi runs her marathon debut, but with a half marathon best of 69:16, set in Gqeberha in June, she might be hoping for a win on debut.

South Africans may have to play second fiddle in the women’s competition, with Stella Marais, winner of the Cape Peninsula Marathon in February, fastest of the locals in 2:38:22, followed by national marathon champion, Jenet Mbhele who raced to that gold medal in 2:40:59 in February.

The elite wheelchair race gets underway at 06h00 from the new start in Helen Suzman Boulevard, with the running marathon off 15 minutes later from the same venue. The wheelchair winner is expected home just after 07h15 with the first marathoner likely to cross the finish line, also in Helen Suzman Boulevard, shortly after 08h15.