ALTHOUGH road running aficionados and even the ordinary followers of the sport are in agreement that Stephen Mokoka is a legend, the man himself feels he has some way to go still before such a lofty billing fits.
“I cannot call myself a legend. What if I get an Olympic medal. What would I call myself then?”
He might be right, for while he has achieved some incredible results in the marathon – where his consistently high performances are unmatched – Mokoka has yet to be victorious on the big stages, like some of his predecessors.
Josiah Thugwane has an Olympic gold.
Mokoka’s role model Hendrick Ramaala is a former New York Marathon champion, as is Willie Mtolo.
David Tsebe and Xolile Yawa both won the Berlin Marathon. Gert Thys was victorious at the Tokyo Marathon.
Mokoka has yet to finish an Olympic marathon, and has not even run an Abbott World Marathon Major.
Brick by Brick #HollywoodAC#TeamSponge#Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/t0aTicpfNp
— Stephen Mokoka (@MokokaSteve) May 27, 2024
That, though, should not take away from the fact the 39-year-old from Mafikeng has chalked up achievements that even those highly decorated stars can only dream of.
“I always want to be unique in everything I do. In the history of the marathon in South Africa, I am the only athlete who has run a sub 2:10 (time) 10 times (with a personal best of 2:06.42),” he said.
“In the 10km, I am the only athlete to ever run 27 minutes at the championships. And for the Marathon World Championships, my fifth position is the best by a South African.
“But for the Olympics, I still have unfinished business. Hopefully I do better in Paris. I also want to find myself doing well in this (Abbott) Majors for marathons. I am still maturing.”
Many would think at 39, and having been in the sport for as long as he has, Mokoka is close to reaching the ceiling. But nothing could be further from the truth, he said.
“My coach and my manager always say to me in the marathon, there’s no such thing as you are old. Yes, you age, but you never get out.
“You reach optimum level as you get older, but I am not at my prime yet – and I think I can be at the next Olympics (in Los Angeles in 2028).
Progressing well with big volume 🙌
— Stephen Mokoka (@MokokaSteve) April 29, 2024
Nothing like my favorite 26.2 miler to break up the grind of marathon training. 3rd in 2.09.52 for #DurbanIntMarathon PB. Shoutout to Milton on his 2.13 debut marathon 💫💫@paris2024 is the big goal 🙌#TeamSonge#HollywoodAC pic.twitter.com/2t5sHBOXB3
“Stefano Baldini (the Italian marathon legend) won the Olympics at 38. I have the opportunity now, and I need to challenge myself and get the best result out of this coming Olympics.”
He has been working hard at getting ready for Paris 2024, Mokoka even running the 56km Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon, which he did not finish, but “got a lot out of that race”.
The high mileage training done, the man fondly nicknamed ‘Tshipi’ (iron) has been focusing on building up his leg speed.
He ran the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Cape Town 10k, where he ran a pedestrian 29:19 for 14th place, but he was merely running the lactic acid from the Two Oceans out of his legs then.
Next month, he will line up at the Durban leg of the popular series as a final tune-up before he heads to the French capital.
“The Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K is going to be a fitness check-up for me to see how my preparation has been going,” Mokoka said.
South Africa's top road runner, Stephen Mokoka, will compete at his fourth Olympics when he lines up for the marathon in Paris.
He has the experience and the ability to put up a fight in the chase for medals.✨ pic.twitter.com/ndSgGjKiPF
“It will be my final race before the Olympics. It’s part of the plan to make sure that I will be at my best five weeks away from the Olympics. It will help me to decide where I am in terms of the preparation.”
You can bet he will be ready for his third appearance at the Olympics Marathon, Mokoka having first competed at the 2012 Games, where he finished in 49th place.
It is his DNF (did not finish) from Tokyo in 2021 that still lingers, though, and he – cheered on by the rest of Mzansi – will be out to make amends, a fantastic run in Paris sure to cement his status as a South African running legend.