Title up for grabs at SA Cross Country - Printable Version +- Running Information Forums (https://www.time-to-run.com/forums) +-- Forum: Country and General Discussion (https://www.time-to-run.com/forums/Forum-Country-and-General-Discussion) +--- Forum: South Africa (https://www.time-to-run.com/forums/Forum-South-Africa) +---- Forum: Pre-event (https://www.time-to-run.com/forums/Forum-Pre-event) +---- Thread: Title up for grabs at SA Cross Country (/Thread-Title-up-for-grabs-at-SA-Cross-Country)

Title up for grabs at SA Cross Country - TheEd - 04-09-2012 Tuesday, 4 September 2012 - The senior men’s title will be up for grabs at the SA Cross Country Championships in Amanzimtoti, KwaZulu-Natal as the defending champion, Tshamano Setone, will not be competing. Stephen Mokoka will also give the championships a skip this year despite him finishing second last year. “I was supposed to have rested after the Olympics, but the calendar did not allow me to. My main aim was to do good enough to make the team for the World Half Marathon Championships,” said Mokoka who won the SA Half Marathon Championships on 26 August. Mokoka admitted that targeting the World Cross Country Championships could have been nice, but racing every weekend leaves no room for recovery. Elroy Gelant, winner of the SA Cross Country Trials in Potchefstroom on 18 February, will be back representing Central North West at the Championships. In May, he won the SA 10km Championships in Kimberley and on 26 August, he finished 5th at the SA Half Marathon Championships. He also had the opportunity to represent South Africa at the Africa Cross Country Championships in Cape Town on 18 March where he finished 14th. Gelant is a good track athlete, specialising in 5000m and 3000m, and says that those events will remain his first priority for now. “After the Rio Olympics I will probably move to longer distances.” Gelant took a different approach this year by competing in road events during the winter. “I would love to represent South Africa at the World Half Marathon Championships, as I think it will be great experience that I can use physically as well as psychologically during the athletics season next year.” Gelant added that he was setting his sights on the Cross Country World championships next year as well, as it will be a great motivater for track. “I am really looking forward to the cross country because I always enjoy it and want to finish in the top three. The stronger the field, the more exciting the race,” says Gelant. Some other familiar faces include Boy Soke (who finished 3rd at the trials and 25th at the Africa Cross Country Championships), Gladwin Mzazi and Sibusiso Nzima. The main race for the senior men will be contested over 12km with the course consisting of a 2km loop. The winner will receive R2000 while the next three positions will pocket R1500, R1000 and R500 respectively. The first event will start at 09:00 at Hutchinson Park in Amanzimtoti. The senior men’s 12km race will take place at 11:10. The SA Cross Country Championships will serve as a means to select a team for the World Cross Country Championships, taking place in Poland on 24 March 2013.