Elroy Gelant to miss title defence race due to academic commitments
25th July 2025
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South African marathon record holder Elroy Gelant has confirmed to SABC Sport that he will not defend his half-marathon title at the Athletics South Africa Road Running Championships in Namakgale, Phalaborwa, Limpopo on Saturday.
Last year, Gelant, who will turn 39 next month, won both the marathon and half-marathon titles in Durban and Gqeberha.
He skipped defending his marathon crown at the Cape Town event in February, and he will also miss the 21.1km race in Limpopo.
In Gelant’s absence, Athletics Central North West will be represented by former national 21km and 5000m champion Thabang Mosiako at the South African Road Running Championships.
Gelant confirmed to SABC Sport that he is unable to compete this weekend due to academic commitments.
“I was initially planning to take part, but my academic responsibilities have to take priority. I’ll be attending a research retreat from Monday to Friday, so unfortunately, I won’t be able to travel to Limpopo,” he explained.
Gelant says his preparations for the World Championships in Tokyo remain on track as he continues to focus on securing a top three finish at the global event.
Although he’s taking a short break from training this week to attend to work commitments, he will resume his road work later this month, using the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10km on 28 August to boost his endurance.
“Everything is still on track for the world champs. Over the next few weeks, I’ll be adapting my training to focus more on speed," he explained.
"Since I’m not competing at the national championships, I need to build my race sharpness. My next big target is the marathon in Tokyo, and I’m looking forward to it. The goal has always been to qualify, compete, and fight for a podium finish — and I believe I can achieve that.”
