By Thathe Msimango
South African marathon runner Siboniso Sikhakhane still has high hopes of wearing national colours on the international stage.
For Sikhakhane to qualify for next year’s World Athletics Championship in Budapest or go to the 2024 Paris Olympics, he has to clock a tough 2:09:40 time over 42 kilometres.
This is a tough job. Sikhakhane’s personal best is a 2:11:49 that came in the 2021 Cape Town Marathon.
He came close to representing South Africa in this year’s World Champs in the USA, when he missed the then qualifying time by nine seconds.
“I believe that I can clock the best marathon time on a good day with the perfect route and good training,” the 31-year-old runner from Phantane Athletics club told Scrolla.Africa.
“I’m a hard worker and focused when I’m training. I’m not that kind of runner who makes big promises but I know I’m capable of running faster. I need to make the cut and get into the squad.”
The founder of Phantane, Mdu Khumalo, who is Sikhakhe’s coach, said they are looking to get him an overseas marathon next year.
“Sikhakhane has a big chance to qualify for the marathon. If he got an overseas marathon with athletes with faster times then he will improve. In our country we don’t have many marathons where runners can post qualifying times,” he said.
Reports from close sources indicate that Sikhakhane has submitted his name for the Zurich Barcelona Marathon in March, but Khumalo didn’t confirm this.
“I can’t confirm which races we have contacted but we have been in contact with many organisers.”
Sikhakhane has been in wonderful form this year, running third in the Two Oceans Marathon and second in the Prince Mangosuthu Buthelezi 52 km race. He has posted new personal best times over 10km and 21km.
Pictured above: Siboniso Sikhakhane
Image source: Supplied
