Simon Mokonyama sets his sights on the ASA 10km championships

This event is scheduled to take place at Marks Park Sports Centre in Johannesburg on 10 March.

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Mokonyama, who proudly represents the Faranani Athletics Club, undergoes rigorous training sessions at the Tshwane University of Technology alongside his teammate, Philani Buthelezi.

The 32 year-old Mokonyama displayed his prowess by achieving a time of 30 minutes and 26 seconds in his recent performance at the Tuks Bestmed 10km race held at the University of Pretoria.  

''Now I'm looking forward to the ASA 10 km race, next month. I want to go there and claim  a top 10 spot, last year I was position 6 at the ASA Championships,'' said Mokonyama.

Having claimed victory in the Vaal Marathon twelve months ago, Mokonyana finds pleasure in participating in both the 10km and 21km races.

His aspiration for the national 10km championships is to break the sub-30 minutes.

The event promises a challenging line-up of renowned runners in South African road running, all set to grace the streets of Johannesburg.

 "I like 10 and 21 kilometers, 21 is the one I mostly want. My time in 10 km, is 29:46 and 21 is 65:04,'' added Mokonyana

Mokonyama is under the guidance of Hendrick Mokganyetsi, a three-time 400m Olympian, President of Athletics Gauteng North (AGN), and a member of the ASA board.

Despite Mokonyama’s strict coaching style, he serves as a source of motivation for Mokonyama, encouraging him to persistently work hard.

 ''She motivates me a lot, she will say keep pushing you are going there, if you don't finish the program you are not going to make it,'' he concluded.

He draws inspiration from elite runners like Stephen Mokoka, as well as legendary Ethiopian athletes such as Haile Gebrselassie and Kenenisa Bekele.