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 sprint finish is decisive and he wins gold to great acclaim.
The wishful dream of a South African Olympic marathoner? No, the factual account of the 2018 Beppu-Oita Mainichi Marathon in southern Japan, which Mokgobu won in his then lifetime best of 2 hrs 09 min 31 sec, just three seconds clear of Japanese athlete, Hayato Sonoda.
But the 32-year old South African from Tembisa, outside Johannesburg, would be less than human if he did not make use of memories of his 2018 success when visualising his hoped-for outcome of the Olympic Marathon in Sapporo on Sunday 8 August, the final day of the 32nd Olympiad.
And no matter that Beppu is as far south in Japan as Sapporo is north and over 2000km from the Olympic marathon venue, Mokgobu believes that he can repeat what he has already achieved in the ‘Land of the Rising Sun’ and emulate the success of Siya Kolisi and his 2019 Rugby World Cup-winning Springboks.
“My expectation is to come back with the gold medal and make myself, family and country proud,” said Mokgobu on the eve of his departure. “It’s really a good confidence-booster to think about the races I have won, remembering the great feeling when I won the Beppu-Oita race in Japan.
“I’m really looking forward to returning to Japan. I have good memories of when I raced there previously and I enjoy the Japanese culture – they have been very caring towards me. I feel like I have supporters in Beppu who will be rooting for me at the Olympics – I’ve received a few messages of support already.”
Mokgobu could also find motivation from Olympic history. Josiah Thugwane was never regarded as anything close to the race favourite ahead of the 1996 Olympic marathon in Atlanta, USA, and the diminutive runner from Mpumulanga could only gain a place as a reserve on the Olympic marathon team.
An injury to top South African, Xolile Yawa, earned Thugwane a last-minute call up to the team and the rest is history. Thugwane ran the race of his life to outsprint Korean Lee Bong-Ju and take the gold medal by just three seconds – the same margin of victory as Mokgobu’s in Beppu.
As with his Olympic teammate, Stephen Mokoka, Mokgobu was raised in the province of Limpopo. “I come from a little village called Inveraan, near Bochum, (about 100km north west of Polokwane) which is where I started my passion for running.
“My family were very supportive and helped me make the most of my chances. While I was still at school, I represented my region, Capricorn, in provincial competition. Then, when I was nineteen, I came to Johannesburg where my uncle Joseph Montana arranged a meeting with coach Hendrick Ramaala that helped me get started as a professional athlete.”
It proved an ideal introduction with the four-time Olympian Ramaala, himself a Limpopo-born athlete, having enjoyed a stellar career as an athlete in track, cross-country and road between 1994 and 2012.
“Hendrick is like a father figure in my life,” emphasized Mokgobu, who now runs for the Entsika Athletics Club, where Ramaala is the club coach. “He always motivates us to do well and never gives up on us in anything we do. It will be great to have my coach in Japan (Ramaala is coach to the Olympic marathon team) where I will have his support. But I’m going there to run my own race and I will do my best to be counted as one of the winners.”
The hard preparation work for the Olympics is over for Mokgobu, who is looking forward to putting the finishing touches to his training in Japan. “I had my last long run today (Sunday) of 30km with my training partner and felt very good throughout,” Mokgobu said.
“It was freezing when we started – the temperature was just one degree, very different to what we can expect in Japan. But I’m confident that I will be able to acclimatise quite quickly once we are there. We will have ten days before we race.”
Mokgobu will take into the marathon the most important lesson from over a decade of world competition. “For me, it is about staying calm and not being stressed. Just focus on the race and avoid distractions.
“I enjoy every race I run because I run with love and passion and remembering the great feeling that day I won in Beppu in Japan. And I know that my family, club and friends and the whole country will be behind me. I’m feeling a mixture of excitement and strength, knowing that I will give it all my best. I will be competing for a medal – I’m not just going there for the party!”
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