ASA chief Enoch Skosana optimistic about the SA marathon team in Paris

The men’s team features South African marathon and half-marathon champion Elroy Gelant, along with three-time Cape Town marathon champion Stephen Mokoka.

Representing the women’s team are Comrades and Two Oceans champion Gerda Steyn, South African champion Cian Oldknow, and four-time Soweto marathon champion Irvette Van Zyl.

Skosana is confident that ASA is fielding a strong team for the 42.2km marathon events on 10 and 11 August.

"We have experienced athletes, two of them like Mokoka and Elroy are experienced internationally. I believe they are in shape after they ran 27 minutes in Durban, they are looking good in my opinion because if you prepare for a marathon and then you run 27 minutes, it means your shape is not so bad. In that shape you can run 2:05, 2:04 in that shape of 27,” Skosana said.

“For the ladies I think we have two experienced women, Gerda and Irvette for international standard, they have experience on that. Cian is an upcoming development athlete but we don't write off the development athletes."

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The retired long-distance runner cautioned that the Olympic Games marathon is unpredictable, and the South African team could surprise their competitors if underestimated.

In 1996, Josia Thugwane, a relatively unknown athlete, caused a major upset by winning the gold medal for South Africa in the men’s marathon.

"According to my experience in the Olympics, even if we have the top athletes in the world, the ones that we don't know about can surprise everybody because marathon is a journey,” he added.

“Anything can happen to that experience of Josia Thungwane when he won the Olympics, in 1996. We learnt from there because a marathon is a big journey and a big responsibility to run that. Also, it depends on the weather because some of the athletes can be happy with the hot or cool weather, it depends on the day."