In a surprising magnificent fashion, Africa champion and four-time World University Games medalist, South African Stephen Mokoka breaks 50km World record in his debut at the distance.
The 37-year-old won the Nedbank Runified 50km (31 miles) in Gqeberha in two hours 40 minutes 13 seconds, beating the time of 2:42:07 set by Ethiopia’s Ketema Negasa last year.
Mokoka competed in the marathon at the 2012 and 2020 Olympics and 10,000m at the 2016 Olympics.
“I’m tired. It’s a long way, but I enjoyed it,” he said.
World Athletics added the 50km distance to the list of events for which world records are recognised in July.
Ethiopia’s Amelework Fikadu Bosho dominated the women’s race to win in 3:04:58, almost four minutes ahead of second place but 34 seconds short of the world record.
Elsewhere, double Olympic marathon champion Eliud Kipchoge won on his Tokyo Marathon debut in 2:02:40 (fourth fastest time) on Sunday.
He joined Wilson Kipsang as the only man to win four separate World Marathon Majors events. The Olympic champion has only Boston and New York to go. Kipchoge has dominated the marathon running since 2013 as he has won 14 of his 16 marathons.
Amos Kipruto clocked a personal best of 2:03:13 to take second in Tokyo Marathon. Ethiopian Tamirat Tola concluded the men’s podium with a time of 2:04:14.
Brigid Kosgei, the current women’s marathon record holder, won the women’s race in a dominant fashion, smashing the course record and Japanese all comers record with an astonishing time of 2:16:02. Her winning time is also the third fastest marathon ever. Ashete Bekere of Ethiopia finished second, running 2:17:58, a personal best. At the same time, her compatriot Gotytom Gebreslase came in third in a big personal best of 2:18:18.
DiscernSport