He was biding his time near the front of the lead pack until the 32km mark, then made his move and steadily increased his lead over the last 10km
16 October 2022 - 19:04
bySPORTS STAFF
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Stephen Mokoka of SA wins the men's 42.2km Elite race at Green Point Athletics Stadium in Cape Town, October 16 2022. Picture: PETER HEEGER/GALLO IMAGES
Defending champion Stephen Mokoka once again showed why he is SA’s premier marathoner as he claimed a third win in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
The Olympian and multiple SA champion broke the tape in 2hr 09min 58sec, three seconds faster than his winning 2:10:01 in 2021 and the fourth-fastest winning time in the race’s history.
The leading men ran conservatively in the first half, passing halfway in 1:05:36, with Mokoka biding his time near the front of the lead pack until the 32km mark.
He then made his move and steadily increased his lead over the last 10km — he was 21sec clear of second-placed Ethiopian Derseh Kindie Kassie at 35km, and just over a minute clear at 40km.
“This was a tough, tough course. Normally at 25km you start enjoying a marathon, but at 28km today we climbed that hill in District Six and it got really hard for a while,” said Mokoka.
Second spot went to Kassie in 2:11:26, with his countryman Dagnachew Adere Maru outsprinting Kenya’s Raymond Kipchumba Choge to take third place.
In the women’s race, Meseret Dinke Meleka of Ethiopia took line honours in 2:24:02, smashing the 2:25:44 record (run in 2021 by Lydia Simiyu), and also breaking her personal best of 2:25:12. Second over the line was Kenyan Tecla Kirongo in 2:27:56 with another Kenyan, Judith Cherono, taking third in 2:30:32.
The first South African to finish was Stella Marais, clocking 2:38:34 to claim eighth position.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Mokoka clocks hat-trick of Cape Town Marathons
He was biding his time near the front of the lead pack until the 32km mark, then made his move and steadily increased his lead over the last 10km
Defending champion Stephen Mokoka once again showed why he is SA’s premier marathoner as he claimed a third win in the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
The Olympian and multiple SA champion broke the tape in 2hr 09min 58sec, three seconds faster than his winning 2:10:01 in 2021 and the fourth-fastest winning time in the race’s history.
The leading men ran conservatively in the first half, passing halfway in 1:05:36, with Mokoka biding his time near the front of the lead pack until the 32km mark.
He then made his move and steadily increased his lead over the last 10km — he was 21sec clear of second-placed Ethiopian Derseh Kindie Kassie at 35km, and just over a minute clear at 40km.
“This was a tough, tough course. Normally at 25km you start enjoying a marathon, but at 28km today we climbed that hill in District Six and it got really hard for a while,” said Mokoka.
Second spot went to Kassie in 2:11:26, with his countryman Dagnachew Adere Maru outsprinting Kenya’s Raymond Kipchumba Choge to take third place.
In the women’s race, Meseret Dinke Meleka of Ethiopia took line honours in 2:24:02, smashing the 2:25:44 record (run in 2021 by Lydia Simiyu), and also breaking her personal best of 2:25:12. Second over the line was Kenyan Tecla Kirongo in 2:27:56 with another Kenyan, Judith Cherono, taking third in 2:30:32.
The first South African to finish was Stella Marais, clocking 2:38:34 to claim eighth position.
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