Cian Oldknow celebrates winning the national title at the Durban International Marathon in April. Picture: Darren Stewart/Gallo Images
One of the surprise athletes in the South African team, after making a remarkable breakthrough by stepping up in distance this season, marathon newbie Cian Oldknow hopes to absorb as much as she can from the experience when she lines up for her Olympic debut at the Paris Games next month.
After finishing 15th in the half-marathon at the World Road Running Championships in Latvia last year, Oldknow told her coach George Bradley that she wanted to qualify for the Olympics in either the 5,000m or 10,000m events on the track.
Bradley, however, suggested her best chance of booking a spot in Paris would be in the 42.2km marathon – a distance over which she had never raced – and once she realised he wasn’t kidding, it was all systems go.
And it was a good decision. In her first competitive 42.2km race she produced one of the most stunning debuts in the history of South African marathon running, clocking 2:25:08 in Seville in February and dipping well under the automatic Olympic qualifying standard of 2:26:50.
Oldknow then went on to win the national marathon title in Durban in April, and while she ran another solid time of 2:29:46, she admits she is still learning how to race the marathon.
All four of the other South African road runners competing at the Paris Olympics – Gerda Steyn, Irvette van Zyl, Stephen Mokoka and Elroy Gelant – are vastly more experienced.
And though it might be a little intimidating for her to take on the world’s best after racing only two hard marathons, Oldknow admits her relative inexperience does release some of the pressure and expectation.
She has also learned not to put too much pressure on herself, which she admits has caused challenges in the past.
“I try to limit how much I feel the external pressure,” Oldknow said at the launch of the Spar Women’s Challenge Jozi 10km race in Kempton Park this week.
“Going into the Two Oceans Half-Marathon this year (where she finished second) I really struggled because everyone was saying ‘you’re going to win it’, but I knew what competition I had out there and it really got to me.
“But that was a good learning curve, to remind myself I’m out there to run my race, and it turned out to be a blessing because going into the Olympics I know I’m doing it for me.
“I want to enjoy it, wear the South African colours with pride and just give it my best shot.”
Oldknow fell at the finish line of the national championships in April, getting tangled in the winner’s tape and injuring herself.
While she has fully recovered and is back to full training, she admits it has not been ideal preparation for the Games, which has somewhat lowered her expectations.
She still hopes, however, to have a good run and get as much as she can out of the experience.
“My high expectations have adjusted a little bit because I know what I’m going through and where I’m coming from,” she said.
“It’s not the preparation block I would have liked, but it’s going a lot smoother now and I’m running really well, so I’m excited for the Olympics.”
The launch of the Spar Women’s Challenge Jozi was attended by Oldknow and two other marathon runners who will compete at the Olympic and Paralympic Games this year – Zimbabwean athlete Rutendo Nyahora and double Paralympic medallist Louzanne Coetzee – as well as former Olympic marathon runners Rene Kalmer and Lebo Phalula-Mzazi.
The 33rd edition of the annual 10km race, which forms part of the elite Spar Grand Prix series, will be held on 6 October at Marks Park.
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