World record breaker Mokoka not yet ready to step up

Despite shattering the roof with an explosive ultra-marathon debut at the weekend, South African marathon star Stephen Mokoka says he would not be making a permanent move up in distance just yet.

Mokoka was at his best on Sunday, storming home in 2:40:13 to break the 50km world record at the Nedbank Runified Breaking Barriers race in Gqeberha, Eastern Cape.

The 37-year-old athlete finished well clear of the rest of the field, chopping nearly two minutes off the previous 50km world record of 2:42:07 which was set by Ethiopia’s Ketema Negasa at the same race last year.

Mokoka’s compatriots, Tete Dijana (2:44:08) and former Comrades Marathon winner Edward Mothibi (2:45:27) finished second and third respectively.

“Some of these other guys usually run longer stuff, so I was asking questions during the race: ‘Am I still ok? Do I have to push?’,” Mokoka said after his first attempt beyond the standard 42km marathon distance.

Mokoka, who has broken multiple national records over shorter distances, is expected to lead the SA marathon team at this year’s World Athletics Championships in Eugene, in the build-up to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. – AFP