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Veteran long-distance runner Stephen Mokoka has confirmed that he will return to the Cape Town Marathon on 19 October in pursuit of a record-extending fourth title.
The 40-year-old, already a three-time champion of the prestigious 42.2km race, told SABC Sport that reclaiming victory in Cape Town is his main goal for the remainder of the year as he looks to cement his status as one of South Africa’s all-time great marathoners.
Mokoka has opted to skip the marathon at the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo to concentrate on domestic commitments with his Hollywood Athletics Club.
As part of his build-up, he will line up at the Hollywood Durban 10km on 31 August and the Absa Run Your City Tshwane 10km on 24 August.
“I’ll be running our race, the Hollywood 10km, and I’m also preparing for the Cape Town Marathon,” Mokoka said.
“The year is not over yet—there’s still a lot to aim for. The 10km races help me sharpen up, but my real focus is on delivering a strong performance in Cape Town.”
Two weeks ago, Mokoka attempted to break the World 10km Masters Record of 27:48 set by Kenya’s Bernard Lagat in 2015.
Despite a R100,000 incentive from organizers Stillwater Sports at the Absa Run Your City Durban 10km, he narrowly missed the mark.
Undeterred, Mokoka remains optimistic and plans to try again at next year’s Run Your City events in Gqeberha and Durban.
“It was a tough race. After 6km, I started to feel pain, and the last 3km were really hard,” he admitted. “I started well—through 3km in 8:17—but I slowed in the second half. I missed the record by a few seconds, but I’ll return next year with the same determination. I’ve accepted the result and moved on. The support I received was incredible—some people even thought I’d done it.”
To maximise his performance going forward, Mokoka is hoping to strengthen his training setup.
He’s looking to recruit two or three younger athletes with different strengths—especially speed—to join his group and push him in training.
“I need guys who can complement me in training,” he said.
“Having that support system will help me go after my goals more aggressively."
