Elroy Gelant in action at last year's Boxer Super Run Durban. The marathon record holder will once again test his speed over the shorter distance when he lines up for the Joburg edition of this year's race on November 15.

Image: Anthony Grote

At an age when most elite runners have long traded competition for coaching or settled into comfortable retirement, South African marathon record holder Elroy Gelant has a simple message for anyone checking his birth certificate: do not write the final chapter just yet.

Turning 40 has done little to blunt the competitive fire of the Potchefstroom-based athlete. Fresh off testing his mettle against the planet’s premier road racers at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in Copenhagen, Gelant is firmly targeting next year’s World Athletics Championships in Beijing – and refuses to dismiss an audacious bid for a third Olympic Games appearance at Los Angeles 2028, where he would line up at 41.

"I don’t see age as the first question. The first question is whether I can still perform at the level required," Gelant told IOL Sport exclusively. "I’ve always believed that you should respect your body and let your performances tell you where you are. If, leading into 2028, I am healthy, competitive and still running the times required to qualify, then why would I close that door?"

A two-time Olympian on the track and in the marathon, having represented South Africa in Rio and Tokyo, Gelant understands the magnitude of the global stage.

"A third Olympic Games would be something very special, but I am not going to force it. I will take it one season at a time and see where the journey takes me," he said.

That journey now leads to the Boxer Super Run in Johannesburg on Sunday, November 15. Pundits often pigeonhole marathon record holders as endurance grinders, but Gelant has spent his career evading neat categorisation.

From his roots as an Olympic 5 000m track finalist to his blazing sub-13:45 podium finish at the Boxer Super Run in Durban last year, his speed remains potent. Stepping down from 42.2km to 5km in Joburg is a tactical tool in his wider international calendar.

"The Boxer Super Run is actually a nice change of stimulus for me," Gelant explained. "After the demands of championship-level road racing, the 5km allows me to focus more on speed, efficiency and racing instinct without having to prepare specifically for another marathon.

"I've been competing at an elite level for many years, so sometimes you need to step away from the traditional marathon preparation and remind yourself of the speed that is still there."

The lung-burner over Johannesburg's undulating terrain will also serve as a gauge of how his legs have rebounded from Copenhagen, where measuring himself against international competition in the half-marathon provided a reality check.

"Whenever you compete against the best athletes in the world, you get a very honest assessment of where you are and what you still need to work on," he reflected. "At this stage of my career, I also look at performances differently. It is not only about the final result or the position you finish in. It is about understanding your body, your preparation and what is required to compete at the highest level."

That perspective underpins his focus on Beijing next year.

"The World Championships are special because you are not just racing for yourself; you are representing South Africa. That responsibility means a lot to me," said Gelant. "I still have the hunger to see what I can achieve on those stages. For me, the focus now is on putting together the right preparation, staying healthy and giving myself the best possible opportunity."

With Gert Thys's long-standing national marathon record already rewritten under his name, Gelant could walk away today with his legacy cemented. But the hunger that has powered two decades at the top remains insatiable.

"I still haven’t necessarily reached the end of what I can achieve," Gelant said. "I want to leave the sport knowing that I gave everything I had to my career. I’ve already achieved things that I am very proud of, but I don’t want my story to be finished yet. There are still races I want to run, times I want to chase and championships I want to experience. For me, that is what keeps the hunger alive."