Olympics Special – SA’s Olympics marathoners to make the most of Sapporo
By Stephen Granger
Tatjana Schoenmaker’s gold medal in the 200m breaststroke was undoubtedly the high point of South Africa’s Tokyo Olympic endeavours, while surfer Bianca Buitendag’s silver medal proved an added delight. Can the talented marathon team, currently honing their...
Gerda Steyn’s ultra-long route to Japan
It’s 13 786 km from Durban, South Africa, to Sapporo, Japan, but Gerda Steyn will attempt to bridge the distance between the Comrades and the Olympics marathons with a few strides next Saturday, 7 August, as she goes to the...
Olympics Special – Mokgobu’s dreams of gold
Story by Stephen Granger
Desmond Mokgobu is running shoulder to shoulder with one of host Japan’s favourite marathoners, in the final stages of the biggest race of his life. The two enter the stadium almost stride for stride, but Mokgobu’s...
Olympics Special: Irvette Van Zyl’s remarkable comeback
By Stephen Granger
In May 2020, three-time Soweto Marathon and SPAR Grand Prix 10km series winner, Irvette Van Zyl, chose to go under the knife to relieve the nagging knee pain she had experienced ever since a scooter accident as...
Olympics Special – Elroy Gelant on chasing that medal with the “lion pack”
By Stephen Granger
Elroy Gelant faces one of the biggest tests of his athletics career in Japan in three weeks’ time when he lines up at the start of the Olympic Marathon in Sapporo, 800km north of the Olympic City...
African challenge on Golden Trail from Morocco’s Elazzaoui
by Stephen Granger
Norwegian athlete Stian Angermund made it three in a row in the Golden Trail World Series (GTWS) at the 20km Dolomyths Run in the Italian Alps on Sunday morning (18 July), while Moroccan Elhousine ‘Hassan’ Elazzaoui began...
Olympics Special – Stephen Mokoka’s mission in Sapporo
Stephen Mokoka feeds of the support from an activation station en route to winning the 2018 Cape Town Marathon. Photo: Stephen Granger
South African distance running supremo, Stephen Lesego Mokoka, is a man on an extraordinary mission: to follow in...
South Africa’s McCann “splodges” to first victory in Europe’s summer season.
by Stephen Granger
Cape Town trail athlete, Toni McCann, got her European summer off to a flying start with a convincing victory in the Gruyere Trail Charmey 24km race in western Switzerland on Saturday (July 17).
Recent heavy rains in the...
Marathon de Sables for Nontuthuko Mgabhi
by Stephen Granger
When Nontuthuko Mgabhi lines up in October at one of the world’s most gruelling footraces – the Marathon des Sables ( the Marathon of the Sands) - a multi-day stage race across 250km of scorching sands in the Sahara...
South Africans mount “best ever” Olympics marathon campaign
by Stephen Granger
Five athletes in the South African Olympic squad will be heading to the island of Hokkaido and the city of Sapporo, 800 km north of Japan’s capital and Olympic hub Tokyo, to take part in the women’s...