"The race went exactly as I wanted" – Lesetja Papo on his Kit Kat Marathon victory
Lesetja Papo may have fallen short of his 2:16 target, but his KitKat Marathon victory in Pretoria West on Sunday September 13 gave the Maxed Elite athlete exactly the confidence he needed and a timely reminder that trusting his own race plan can pay dividends.Papo produced a season’s best 2:18:17 to claim the title, crossing the finish line more than two minutes ahead of runner-up Steven Mokoka of Hollywood AC (2:20:23). Msawenkosi Buthelezi of Pan African Resources completed the podium in third in 2:20:53.
"The race went exactly as I wanted in terms of execution. After City to City was cancelled, I switched to the Kit Kat Marathon in Pretoria and focused on running my own race," he told #TheTopRunner after pocketing R100 000 for his efforts.
"I realised early that the lead pack’s pace would be too slow for my 2:16 target, so I committed to pushing the tempo on my terms. The had to stick to my fuelling plan and resist the temptation to sit in a comfortable group as I controlled the increase in pace after 30km. Being alone up front was tough, but trusting the training and maintaining discipline allowed me to finish strongly in 2:18:17 and take the win," he explained.
The 32-year-old from the Ekurhuleni township of Tsakane entered the race with a modest season's best of 2:26:27 run at the Durban International Marathon in May. Even though he was unable to reach the 2:16 target he had set himself, Papo, maintains that dictating the pace rather than settling into a slower group was the right strategy.
"My pre-race target was 2:16 and the plan was to run even splits and push in the final third. In the race, I found myself all alone up front, which made it difficult to hold the exact 2:16 pace without pacers. I had to balance the target with the realities of the race. Choosing to run my own race secured the victory, even though the final time was 2:18:17. Tactically, it was the right decision."
The victory has provided a timely mental boost for the 2:12:24 marathoner who earned fifth position at the 2024 Africanbank Soweto Marathon. He will now turn his attention to the Kimberley Big Hole Diamonds and Dorings Marathon next month. Papo plans to use the coming weeks to recover, rebuild and sharpen his preparation as he continues his pursuit of a faster marathon time.
"This win gives me confidence and a clear next step. I'm targeting the Kimberley Marathon. I'll take a short recovery block, rebuild quality training and aim to close the gap to 2:16 there. Short-term goals are to sharpen speed and endurance, execute cleaner race pacing and continue lowering my marathon season’s best over the coming months."
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