Desmond Mokgobu in red-hot form targets Two Oceans glory

Desmond Mokgobu says his next target is next month’s Two Oceans half-marathon after the Olympian stormed to an impressive victory in the Race To Equality at Marks Park in Emmarentia this weekend, his third successive triumph in the past two months.

The Entsika Athletics Club elite runner crossed the finish line in 1hr 06 min 03 sec on Saturday to show that his two 21.1km wins this year — in 1:06:31 in Johannesburg in January and 1:01:32 in Limpopo two weeks ago — were no early-season fluke.

Ian Slinger from the Potchefstroom Track Club came second in 1:06:16 but it was twice Olympian from Boxer Running Club, Elroy Gelant, in third in 1:06:17, who Mokgobu said was his only realistic challenger.

“For me my only challenge was Elroy and I’m not undermining the other runners, I’m just saying that my plan was about Elroy only,” the 33-year-old Mokgobu said.

Lesotho’s Neheng Khatala won the women’s race in 1:16:08, Kenyan Shelmith Muriuki of Nedbank finished second in 1:17:45 and SA’s Adele Broodryk came third in 1:21:42 running in Murray & Roberts colours.

Khatala said it was a tough race.

“The first half of the race was tough because we went up the hills but the second half was better,” she said. “After 10km I had to stop to fasten my laces and so I was a bit behind but I picked up the pace and managed to catch up.”

Khatala has also set her sights on the Two Oceans and has already qualified for the world championships in Eugene, Oregon, in July and the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August.

Mokgobu said he held back but knew at 15km that it was his day.

“I was checking who is leading, who is doing the surge, but all the way I knew that I was going to win it.

“That’s why I made sure that between 13km and 15km I was holding back, and David Manja [who finished fourth] was doing the surge.”

After a two-year hiatus necessitated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Two Oceans Marathon is set to take place on the Easter weekend. Mokgobu is ready for the Two Oceans half-marathon event and the perennial challenge posed by East African athletes, especially from Kenya.

“I’m not scared of the Kenyans. It’s our turf,” Mokgobu declared.

Mokgobu, who trains at Johannesburg's Zoo Lake under the tutelage of four-time Olympian and respected coach Hendrick Ramaala, said his secret to success is discipline and focus training.

“The secret is training and the most important thing is to listen to your coach,” he said.

The Senwabarwana-born roadrunner said he has recovered from the disappointment of not finishing the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics Games in Japan last year and focused on getting himself in pristine shape as the cycle for Paris 2024 starts.

“Remember last year we had ups and downs with training because of the pandemic and things did not go our way but this year is our champion year.

“I’m over that, and now my confidence is higher.”

Maxime Chaumeton, the 21-year-old University of Johannesburg student who also trains with Ramaala at Zoo Lake, won the men’s 10km race in 28.29, a good 46 seconds ahead of veteran Sibusiso Nzima.

Chaumeton was happy with his time but said there is a lot of room for improvement.

“It was not too fast. For us it is a jog. If you check top athletes run 26, so 28 should be normal,” said Chaumeton, adding he knew he was going to win even before the race started.

“That’s what I always plant in my head because if I am not coming to an event to win then what is the point?”

Cacisile Sosibo from Boxer Athletic Club won the women’s 10km in 33.14, Zimbabwe’s Rutendo Nyahora [Xcel Running Club] followed two minutes 42 seconds later in 35.55 while Farida Zwane from Rocky Road Runners finished third in 36.12.

The Race to Equality is held under the auspices of Athletics SA under the banner of the Gender Equality, Wellness and Leadership Unit of the Motsepe Foundation.