SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
SPORT MAN
SAYS sport man says by MANFRED SEIDLER
The inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10K on the first weekend of April saw Precious Mashele and Thabang Mosiako run the fastest and second-fastest ever 10km times by a South African on home soil . Mashele ran a whopping 46 seconds faster than his previous best to clock 27:35 , and in the process broke the eight-year-old SA 10km record set by Stephen Mokoka , while Mosiako took 34 seconds off his PB as he came home in 27:52 .
Home Crew Support
Mashele has been training at Zoo Lake with Hendrick Ramaala for nigh on a decade , and the famous Zoo Lake Crew have been the backbone , the support and the home that Mashele has relied on for these past 10 years , to get him to where he is now . His CV lists a total of 11 national titles , including three 10km titles , three 5000m titles , two cross country titles and one 10,000m . He has donned the Green and Gold of South Africa 12 times , including at the Olympic Games in 2021 , and now he is the fastest man in South Africa over 10km .
So what is Mashele ’ s secret ? Hard work , perseverance , an enormous self-belief , talent in abundance , and stability is what got him there . And that stability factor cannot be underestimated . During COVID , Mashele openly admits that he battled with depression , almost giving up on his career , and it was the care , nurturing and discipline instilled by Ramaala that kept him running . That held him in the sport .
Keeping it Steady
Mokoka has followed a similar road , staying with one coach for virtually his entire career . He has been coached by Michael ‘ Sponge ’ Seme since his junior
All-important Stability
There is a saying in sport : “ Hard work beats talent every time ... until talent works hard .” I would like to add something to that saying : “ Hard work beats talent every time … until talent works hard in a stable environment .” Because consistency and stability are the bread and butter of athletics performance .
days , and in an illustrious career , the 38-year-old has won 25 national titles at every distance from 1500m all the way to the marathon . He also set SA Records in the 5000m ( subsequently broken by Elroy Gelant ), the 10km ( just broken by Mashele ) and the half marathon , represented South Africa on 32 occasions , including at three Olympic Games , and has become a true role model for many SA athletes .
The key to his success and longevity ? Talent … of that there is no doubt . Hard work … Mokoka is one of the most disciplined athletes you will find . Planning ... Mokoka chooses his battles and prepares thoroughly for them . And stability ... Mokoka has surrounded himself with solid training partners , has a routine that works , sticks to the plan , and trusts the process . If he has a bad race , he doesn ’ t chop and change everything , he remains consistent .
The Right Environment
However , possibly the greatest example of what stability and consistency can do for a talented athlete is the transformation of Thabang Mosiako , who has these past few years based himself in Gqeberha . He moved to the Eastern Cape to train under Michael Mbambani and alongside local star , Melikhaya Frans , who has been with Mbambani forever and a day , and after clocking 2:09:24 in last year ’ s World Champs Marathon in the USA , is now set to run the Boston Marathon .
Mosiako stunned the running world in 2017 by beating the heavily fancied Mokoka in the RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K event , and Mokoka was quoted as saying , “ When Thabang hit those downhills , he flew away . No one was going to stay with him .” That win catapulted Mosiako into the limelight , and soon after that he made the South African team to the World Cross Country Championships in 2018 . So , what followed just a month before the World Champs was a tragedy .
An elated Thabang Mosiako comes home third in Gqeberha
While having a coffee with a training partner , Mosiako was assaulted and found himself in hospital with a serious head wound . Showing incredible grit , he clawed his way back to fitness and took his place in the SA team , but while he continued to show his talent , he never really seemed to kick on . Then came COVID and the fight for survival . Depression followed , and then alcohol became a ‘ friend ,’ and it seemed his career was doomed . But then in early 2021 , Mosiako made the move to Gqeberha to train under Mbambani and with Frans .
It was a big deal , as Mosiako literally gave up everything in the move . He left behind everything that was ‘ home ,’ including his wife , who he now only sees sporadically , but with Mbambani ’ s group he had a stable set-up , and was surrounded by diligent , disciplined and hardworking athletes . And in Mbambani he had a support structure he had never experienced before . Fast forward two years and the prodigious talent of Mosiako shone incredibly bright at the inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY GQEBERHA 10k , not only smashing his PB , but also shattering the provincial record that had stood since 1999 . It all came down to talent , hard work and stability . Not to be underestimated !
Precious Mashele takes the plaudits for his new SA Record
About the Author
Manfred Seidler is a freelance sport journalist who has been in the industry since 1994 , in both print media and broadcasting , covering four Olympic Games for SABC Radio , and producing various athletics shows for the SABC . Follow him on Twitter : @ sportmansa ; Facebook : Sport Man SA ; Instagram : sportman _ sa .
Images : Tobias Ginsberg
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