A big thumbs up to our top road runners, who’ve flown the SA flag with pride

While many of us might have been left languishing during the lockdown, struggling to retain basic fitness levels, it seems elite local athletes have been training harder than ever before.

Perhaps their performances have been powered by pent-up frustration, but whatever the driving factor, South African athletes have quite literally hit the ground running.

First, in London three weeks ago, Gerda Steyn delivered a superb result by finishing seventh at the London Marathon in 2:26:51, narrowly missing out on Colleen de Reuck’s long-standing national 42km record.

Then, last week, a handful of Steyn’s compatriots proved she was not alone in emerging from the lockdown in the form of her life.

At the World Half-Marathon Championships in Poland, the small self-funded SA team couldn’t really have hoped for better results than they produced.

Stephen Mokoka broke his own national 21km record, clocking a very quick 59:36 for seventh place, while Precious Mashele (1:00:24) and Collen Mulaudzi (1:00:51) both set personal bests as the men’s team finished a respectable fifth overall.

Making a brave solo effort in the women’s race, Glenrose Xaba was equally impressive, and her 1:09:26 personal best was good enough for 16th place.

Granted, there were no medals, but the national squad produced their best results at the global championships in nearly two decades, and again it proves that the nation’s top road runners are on the rise as they continue to chip away at the gap which has been opened by the global elite.

Meanwhile, back home, the Cape Town Marathon did well to promote its virtual race by launching three elite hubs around the country.

Though the event missed much of its fanfare due to restrictions enforced by the lockdown, the athletes delivered in style, with Edward Mothibi (2:16:48) and Annie Bothma (2:33:36) clocking standout times in Potchefstroom and Cape Town respectively.

Though it could be some time until local or international marathons are open to the masses, organisers at home and abroad have done well to get things back on track at elite level.

Despite the long-term uncertainty, recent efforts have at least given road running a chance to get the wheels turning in the early stages of the sport’s comeback.

And the athletes seem quite keen to prove they have lost none of their desire or intensity.

Fortunately, if the sport continues to gain momentum, it shouldn’t be long before they have another chance to hit the road and give it a go again.

Wesley Botton.

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