“ When people speak about our Rainbow Nation , it already existed in athletics since the mid-80s ”
Thulani with his great friend , Bob De La Motte , during the 1980s
It has now been more than a decade since he was first diagnosed with the deadly disease , and in that time Thulani has worked tirelessly to raise awareness , especially in the townships and rural areas , and using his profile as a former top athlete to get people to listen to his message . “ Since I was diagnosed , I have worked with the Prostate Cancer Foundation , teaching young people about the disease . Unfortunately , many people still think cancer is just a ‘ white thing ,’ so there is a lot of awareness to be created in black communities .”
Advice for Soweto Runners
Looking ahead to the upcoming Soweto race , Thulani says he is excited to once again be part of The People ’ s Race . “ I have been involved in some form of the Soweto Marathon from as far back as I can remember , but I have only ever run the race post my cancer diagnosis , so I have only competed in the 10km and 21.1km categories . Still , it is Gauteng ’ s biggest marathon , and brings with it immense pride amongst all townships in Gauteng , especially because there were no races taking place the townships during the apartheid era . I am proud to have been part of changing that .”
In terms of advice for first-time African Bank Soweto Marathon runners , he has this advice : “ If you haven ’ t run this race previously , be prepared to be blown away by what this race means to the people of the Soweto township and surrounding disadvantaged community . Take it easy in the first half , because it ’ s a tough second half , and hydration is key , due to the scorching heat typically experienced in November in Gauteng . It ’ s also important that you run your own race , based on the training you ’ ve done , because the race is about finishing and getting your medal – a keepsake that you ’ ll forever treasure .” he says .
Finally , he says that this race he is so proud of would not be possible without sponsors and partners , and for that they must be thanked . “ It is my honour to be involved in this iconic ‘ Peoples Race ’ and to have the treasured backing of powerhouse African Bank , a sponsorship for which we are truly grateful . As the Soweto Marathon Trust , we are fortunate to have stakeholders who share a common goal of building an event that is the pride of South Africa . It ’ s a realistic and achievable goal – just look at what we have achieved already !”
Always ready with a smile , Thulani remains an inspiration to many so Vreni and Dick let me stay at their place , and that stopped most of the arrests ,” recalls Thulani .
However , one night Thulani and his girlfriend got dressed up for a club dinner , and while waiting for a bus , he was once again arrested . “ I was wearing a suit , looking great , but I felt so humiliated .” Frustrated , Thulani decided to quit running , but then fellow RAC runner Bob De La Motte asked Mark Etheridge of the Star newspaper to write about Thulani . “ After that there were no more arrests , and I was protected by the white runners like Bob and Johnny . I don ’ t think of them as friends , they are my brothers !”
Playing a New Role
Having won the Two Oceans in 1986 , Thulani returned to finish second in the 1987 race , then finished eighth in 1989 and 12th in 1990 . With his career winding down , he began to focus more on the administrative side of the sport , serving on the RAC committee , helping to launch the new Soweto Marathon in 1991 , and helping to establish the new Athletics South Africa national body . He also went to the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona as Team Manager of the South African long-distance athletes , including eventual silver medallist in the 10,000m , Elana Meyer .
“ I am proud that I had the vision to organise for Elana to stay outside the Olympic Village , so that she could focus on her race , and that ’ s where athletics changed in this country , because nobody expected an Afrikaner woman to operate so well with a black manager . When people speak about our Rainbow Nation , it already existed in athletics since the mid-80s , when Bob and Vreni protected me , and I carried it forward .”
However , there was one more hill to climb ... In 2012 , Thulani was diagnosed with stage three prostate cancer , which he describes as “ one of my worst experiences . I never expected it , since I had always led a healthy lifestyle with no drinking or smoking . The doctor actually told me that if I had not been running regularly , then I probably would have died long before I was diagnosed . That ’ s why I tell everybody that early detection is key , and you can do that by going for a test as young as 40 years old . Also , go for walks or do any sports , eat healthy food , which includes drinking lots of water , and avoid sugar ,” he says .