'Mokoka has shared valuable tips' - Milton Kekana out for PB at Sanlam Cape Town Marathon

Xcel Running Club top runner Milton Kekana is confident that he will be able to run a new personal best when he tackles the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon on the 20th of October. The 2019 World University Games 10 000m champion will race only the second marathon of his career following his decision to step-up in distance earlier this year. In his debut marathon in April, Kekana delivered a solid performance clocking 2:13:41 to take a ninth position at the Durban International Marathon, which incorporated the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Marathon Championships.

"It was a good performance because I managed to finish inside the top 10. A lot of preparations were put in place to get ready for that particular race (Durban International Marathon) as I was new to the distance. From what I had planned compared to the results I got, I feel the target was not met. I fell a bit short, but it was a learning curve. As an athlete going in the distance for the first time, you are bound to have mistakes along the way. I'm glad I learned a lot from that experience," he told #TheTopRunner.

Kekana working hard in training ahead of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon. Photo Credit: Xcel Running Club.

Following that encouraging first 42,2km foray in Durban, things took a wrong turn for him. After running 1:05:36 claiming 14th place in wet and windy conditions at the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon in June, the 29-year-old suffered a hamstring injury which sidelined him for a few months.

"I had hoped to build on that to build on that performance. I participated in the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon in Gqerbeha my mind was set on the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K in July. I wanted to use the race to build speed but I suffered injury a week before it. It was the perfect platform for me to run fast as the field is always full of international runners. So I told myself to focus on recovery as I still had another marathon to run later in the year. Now that I'm now feeling stronger and ready to tackle the next challenge," he explained.

Kekana has enjoyed global success on the track at the World University Games and is now looking to do the same over 42,2km. Photo Credit: Supplied.

Kekana made a good comeback from injury last month clocking 1:04:40 to take fifth place behind winner Onalenna Khonkhobe at last month's N12 Half Marathon in the North West. The man, who trains under watchful eye of one of South Africa's greatest marathoners of all time Stephen Mokoka, has now set his sights on slicing a chunk off his lifetime best 2:13 in The Mother City. 

"I think Cape Town (Marathon) will be totally different to Durban (International Marathon). The training for these races has been different. This time around in my program, we have put more mileage in our training. Plus I'm going to face world class athletes, so the pace will be fast. It's nice I'm being coached by someone who has ran and performed well in the race. He (Mokoka) has shared the valuable tips on what the route looks like and how I should approach the race. Plus he's got the experience on how to tackle big races. So I'm confident that I can manage to post a better marathon time. The position will be a bonus," he concluded.