Johannesburg - Given his penchant for multiple successes in just about every event he has participated in, you would expect Stephen Mokoka to have been blase about his third Cape Town Marathon victory yesterday.
After all, this is a man who has been South African champion on more than one occasion in a number of track and cross-country events as well as on the road in the half marathon and marathon.
Mokoka also holds the record of four victories at the Shanghai Marathon for Pete’s sake.
Yet, following his win yesterday when he beat a strong field teeming with quality runners from both Ethiopia and Kenya, Mokoka’s delight was akin to that of a runner who had just registered his maiden success.
“I’m grateful, it means a lot to me, winning again and defending my title. It’s great to say that I’ve won the Cape Town Marathon three times now,” Mokoka said.
Stephen Mokoka has has won the #CapeTownMarathon after his defending title.
— IOL Sport (@IOLsport) October 16, 2022
🎥: Armand Hough/African News Agency/ANA pic.twitter.com/wZgen7eODb
The Boxer Athletic Club star breasted the tape in 2hr 09min 58sec, a good minute and 28 seconds ahead of Ethiopia’s Deresh Kindie Kassie whose compatriot Dagnachew Adere Maru took third place in 2:11:52.
The course record holder with his 2:08:33, Mokoka said the race was fun despite it being challenging.
“(Yesterday) was a tough day, tough course, but we always knew that. But I enjoyed it, especially seeing the support out there. It was an amazing experience,” he said.
With this being the first year of the Cape Town Marathon’s candidature to become the seventh race in the prestigious World Marathon Majors, there was a wheelchair race for the first time and South African superstar Ernst van Dyk narrowly lost out to American Aaron Pike.
Sanlam Cape Town Marathon makes history with their inaugural Elite Wheelchair Division, with USA athlete Aaron Pike taking the win.
— Cape Town Marathon (@CTMarathon) October 16, 2022
Top 3 Men:
1. Aaron Pike - 1:40:15
2. Ernst van Dyk - 1:44:02
3. Martin Velasco Soria - 1:46:43 pic.twitter.com/nFyDSLr3Ko
The women’s race saw an all east Africa podium with Ethiopian Meaeret Dinke Meleka beating off the dual challenge of Kenyans Tecia Kirongo and Judith Cherono.
Mokoka, meanwhile, said he wishes that the race continues to grow and feels this can only happen with more support from South Africans.
Stephen Mokoka successfully defends his Sanlam Cape Town Marathon title.
— Cape Town Marathon (@CTMarathon) October 16, 2022
Top 3 Men:
1. Stephen Mokoka - 2:09:58
2. Derseh Kindie Kassie - 2:11:26
3. Dagnachew Adere Maru - 2:11:52 pic.twitter.com/2XAAp77ei1
“I hope that in the next few years, it can be an event that South Africans can tick off the box and make it a big event in Africa. It’s great to see so many people support athletics and take part in this event. Hopefully, it’ll get bigger and better,” Mokoka said.
Given the rough year he had with injuries leading to him missing out on both the world championships as well as the Commonwealth Games, Mokoka was looking to end the year on a high and duly did with the victory.
That he did not break his own record was neither here nor there for the man trained and coached by the great, yet seriously underrated Michael “Sponge” Seme.
“Titles remain forever, but records are meant to be broken. Winning a title is important, everyone will know,” said Mokoka, nicknamed Tshipi-Tshipi” (Iron/Steel) by those who know him well.
“A marathon is not about running fast. Some want to be the greatest of all time, but to be decorated, you have to win titles, not run fast.”
And he has won them by the truck load all right, this third triumph in Cape Town no doubt going a long way towards cementing his standing as arguably SA’s greatest runner of his generation if not all time.