ROAD RUNNING
What a Year That Was !
Besides Two Oceans big performance , Bosman has enjoyed a most successful year . In February , he won the Balwin Sport Peninsula Marathon in 2:22:25 , and in July ’ s Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K , he dipped under 29 minutes to set a new personal best of 28:56 . In September , he beat out a talented field to win the OUTsurance Gun Run Half Marathon in a fast 1:02:55 , which was just 24 seconds short of breaking Joel Mmone ’ s 2015 course record 1:02:31 , and then in October , he posted a scintillating 1:00:46 in the Meiringsport Half Marathon .
The pride of Pacaltsdorp , Lloyd Bosman and Elroy Gelant
It may appear that Bosman is a bit of a late bloomer , only really coming to the fore in his mid-30s , but the man from Pacaltsdorp , a suburb of George , has been a podium contender for many years . It is perhaps more a case of his unwavering dedication and unrelenting passion paying off in 2024 , but he is also quick to give credit to his training mates back home , from the Pacaltsdorp Running Tribe .
“ Even though I surprised myself a bit this year , I ’ m happy that I ’ m progressing , and I think this year I have learnt that teamwork is the biggest thing in sport ,” says Bosman . “ I would not have achieved so much this year without the training partners that I have . We push each other to achieve more in life , and we ’ ve got big goals to dominate in whatever we do . That is the push behind these performances . In training , we focus on a bigger chapter and aim to accomplish it .”
Pacaltsdorp to Potch
This may have been a breakthrough year for Bosman on the road , but his running career began quite a few years ago on the track , and he has been mentored in his career by some notable coaches . During his time at North-West University ( NWU ) in Potchefstroom , he was coached by former SA middle-distance legend Jean Verster , who can count Olympic marathoner and former SA 5000m Record-holder Elroy Gelant amongst the athletes he has coached , as well as Putseletso Mofokeng and Jerry Motsau . Bosman also worked under Samual Sepeng , who famously coached 800m Olympic and World Champ Caster Semenya , and is currently coaching 800m Olympian Prudence Sekgodiso , amongst others .
Big plans with the Nedbank Running Club in 2025
The Pacaltsdorp Running Tribe training with hometown hero Elroy Gelant
“ I spent five years at Potch between 2007 to 2012 , where I was studying sports science , even though I couldn ’ t finish the course ,” says Bosman . “ At that time , I was a good track runner , with times of eight minutes flat over 3000m and 13:56 over 5000m , but Samuel told me I ’ m built strong , and I could be a very good long-distance runner . I took his advice , one thing led to another , and through performing well , I landed a contract with Nedbank in 2013 , and I have been with them ever since .”
Brothers on the Run
Speaking of Gelant , Bosman describes him as a true inspiration , as the two have enjoyed a longstanding friendship thanks to hailing from the same area . Although there is a slight difference in their ages – Gelant is 38 to Bosman ’ s 36 – they went to the same primary school ( Pacaltsdorp ) and high school ( Outenique ), then both enrolled at NWU in Potchestroom . Just like Bosman , Gelant has been in splendid form this year , which saw him being crowned SA Marathon Champion , dip under 28 minutes for 10km for the first time ( and then do it again ), and finish 11th in the Olympic Marathon in Paris .
“ Elroy is like a big brother to me . He is a true inspiration and shows that working hard in life can give you good results ,” says Bosman . “ We speak almost every day , and even though he is still living and working in Potchefstroom , we sometimes follow the same training programme , and if he is in George , we train together . When I signed with Nedbank in 2013 , he is the one who advised me regarding everything . I don ’ t have enough words to describe how wonderful he has been to me , so he is the guy I look up to , and I ’ ve got nothing but huge respect for him ,” he adds .
Meanwhile , Gelant , who is now a lecturer at NWU , believes that his friend ’ s stellar season is something that has been long overdue , and he is optimistic that next year ’ s Two Oceans title will be added to his friend ’ s list of running accolades . “ Lloyd is a go-getter , a disciplined and dedicated person , and he always been like this , since Primary school ,” he says . “ So , I wasn ’ t surprised with the way he performed this year , as we have been competing together for years . In terms of development , he has been coming a long time since primary school , but I think he needed a proper structure , and that ’ s what we had to establish . There is still a lot I expect from Lloyd , especially after he stepped up to the ultra-distances , and I ’ m really looking forward to see how he does in Two Oceans next year .”
Thinking Big !
After a wonderfully successful 2024 , Bosman says his first goal for 2025 is to replicate his form of this year , but he says that is just the stepping stone to the bigger goals he has in mind – and in this , he not only shares the sentiments of his friend and sometime training mate , but also plans to step it up to even longer distances . “ Firstly , I want to keep consistent in terms of results , but Two Oceans is the race I dream of winning , so I ’ ll start my preparations for that soon . But the biggest race I am eyeing for next year is the Comrades
Marathon , which I will be running for the first time , and I ’ m aiming to have a great debut . Next year promises to be a bigger year , as we ’ ve got bigger plans with our club , so yeah , that ’ s what I have planned for next year ,” he says .
About the Author
Tathe Msimango is a Durban-based freelance sport journalist , podcaster and digital content creator , with a particular interest in all things running . He is a regular contributor to various platforms and outlets , including Kaya FM , The Top Runner and Blizzard magazine in the UK .
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