JUST call him the undisputed Shanghai Marathon king!
South African long distance sensation Stephen Mokoka has perfected the art of achieving victory in the popular Shanghai Marathon in China.
Mokoka dipped under 2:10:00 to clinch this International Association of Athletics Federation Gold Label status race for a record fourth time on Sunday.
The Tshwane University of Technology student stopped the clock in 2:08:35, which is more than a minute faster than his winning time of 2:10:18 last year.
\Mokoka, who returned from Asia yesterday, told SunSport that he now had his sights set on the Commonwealth Games marathon event in Gold Coast, Australia, next year.
The runner, who is coached by veteran athlete and prominent coach Michael “Sponge” Seme, has had a terrible 2017 due to injuries.
But he still managed to finish the year with a bang.
He became the first athlete in the history of the Shanghai event to win it four times.
Mokoka also received a undisclosed financial bonus from his sponsors for the victory.
He said: “I’m happy with this achievement because I’ve had a rough year. I was troubled by injuries and my season only started after May.
“It’s also important that I ran a sub 2:10:00 time.”
Mokoka has decided to focus on the marathon for now, but has not given up on other distances.
He first competed over the 42,2km distance in Seoul, South Korea, in 2010.
His first marathon victory came in Shanghai in 2013.
Mokoka has now competed in seven races, winning four of them, and hopes to receive another invitation to run in Asia again next year.
Added the runner: “I’m happy to have won this marathon four times but my biggest concern was the time.
“My most memorable race was the one in 2013 because it was my first marathon victory.
