- debuts new Xtep racing shoe
Lesotho’s long-distance star Tebello Ramakongoana will face one of the toughest fields of his career at the Sydney Marathon on 30 August, 2026, aiming to compete with the world’s elite rather than simply chase a podium finish.
The Olympian arrives in Australia fresh off a stunning personal best of 2:04:18 at the Boston Marathon, a performance that shaped both his recovery and build-up to Sydney. His coach, James McKirdy, said the team deliberately gave Ramakongoana time to rest before ramping up training.
“Coming off of the Boston Marathon in a personal best of two hours, four minutes, and 18 seconds was a remarkable achievement and one that we really wanted to respect,” McKirdy said.
“We took our time coming off of that marathon for rest and recovery, knowing that we eventually would start training for the Sydney Marathon.”
That build-up has been intense, with Ramakongoana averaging close to 215 kilometres a week over an eight-week block. McKirdy believes the workload has taken his athlete to a new level.
“Every race we’re trying to learn and every race we are trying to develop from our experiences in the past,” he said.
“Now that he’s risen to a level to be able to handle that type of work, we started experimenting with some of the training. And that’s produced some amazing results in his training. I have never seen him faster,” He added.
Sydney will also see the debut of a new racing shoe from sponsor Xtep, which McKirdy expects to rival top footwear from Adidas and Asics thanks to its reduced weight.
“That little detail might not seem that significant, but I think at this level of running, even a few ounces can change the feel of what you’re running in,” he said.
Ramakongoana will contend with a stacked field including world champion Alphonse Simbu and Cissé Lema, but McKirdy is targeting more than a top-three finish.
“The main focus is to run Sydney Marathon as fast as possible. We want to compete.”
The coach believes Ramakongoana’s experience on demanding courses gives him an edge over rivals whose personal bests came on flat, pace-controlled routes.
“The good thing is that he has the experience over the hills and his personal best come from some of the hardest courses in the world.”
Sydney is one step in a longer journey toward the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, with the team prioritising championship-style racing over fast times on easy courses.
“We want to choose hard courses… because the Olympics is a championship concept,” McKirdy explained.
He also urged Basotho to back their athletes consistently, not only in moments of glory, pointing to sprinter Majole’s national 100m record as proof that support should extend beyond the spotlight.
McKirdy hopes Lesotho can send four or five athletes to LA 2028, and beyond that, to Brisbane 2032.
Summary
- Lesotho’s long-distance star Tebello Ramakongoana will face one of the toughest fields of his career at the Sydney Marathon on 30 August, 2026, aiming to compete with the world’s elite rather than simply chase a podium finish.
- “Coming off of the Boston Marathon in a personal best of two hours, four minutes, and 18 seconds was a remarkable achievement and one that we really wanted to respect,” McKirdy said.
- “The good thing is that he has the experience over the hills and his personal best come from some of the hardest courses in the world.
Seabata Mahao is a general news reporter with special focus on Business and Sports. Started working at Newsday in 2021. Working in a team with a shared goal is what I enjoy most and that gives me the motivation to work under any environment leading to growth.
