South African marathon runners on the rise

With some experienced stars still in the mix, and a few newer prospects on the rise, the 2022 season should see South Africa’s top marathon runners making further progress as they continue to lift the standard across the board.

After struggling to find an international 42km race in the first half of this year, with most events being postponed, Gerda Steyn and Irvette van Zyl managed to secure spots at a race in Siena, and they both made it count.

Steyn clocked 2:25:28 to shatter the SA women’s marathon record, which had been held by Colleen de Reuck for 25 years, while Van Zyl completed the race in 2:28:40, ripping nearly three minutes off her eight-year-old personal best.

Having finished a respectable 15th at the Olympic Games, Steyn went on to finish fourth at the Cape Town Marathon in 2:26:25, cementing her place as the country’s top female athlete over the classic distance. In her last five 42km races, she has dipped under 2:28:00 on four occasions, and if Steyn opts to hold off on her return to ultra-distances next season, there is little doubt that she can go even quicker.

Van Zy, meanwhile, had another disastrous Olympics, pulling out during the race with an injury, but her result in Siena was a well-deserved breakthrough for the gutsy 34-year-old athlete, who continues to shine some two decades after she first broke onto the elite domestic road running scene.

ALSO READ: Memorable season – SA athletes have burned up the road

And it’s only a matter of time before Glenrose Xaba makes her very promising marathon debut, with the stocky athlete threatening to make a statement when she steps up in distance, forming a potential domestic rivalry which could match the battle between De Reuck and Elana Meyer which was waged at the turn of the century.

On the men’s side, Stephen Mokoka experienced a rare failure at the Tokyo Games, but he is by no means a spent force, and he bounced back to beat a quality field at the Cape Town Marathon.

In the same race, Melikhaya Frans finally delivered on his true potential with an impressive 2:11:28 personal best, which should earn him a spot in the national team for next year’s World Championships.

Add to this the depth offered by the likes of experienced campaigners Elroy Gelant and Desmond Mokgobu – if they can regain their best form – and promising distance runner Precious Mashele (who has not yet made his marathon debut) and we have a recipe for success.

While Gert Thys’ 22-year-old SA record (2:06:33) remains safe for now, it could soon join the history books alongside De Reuck’s mark, with the country’s best long-distance runners looking stronger than they have in decades.

It has been a memorable season for South African road running, including the sport’s blue riband event, and if the country’s stars can carry their momentum into the new year, it could be another record campaign in the marathon.