On a related note , a huge word of praise needs to be directed at coach Mike Mbambani , who seems to have a knack for making sure his athletes peak at the right time . “ He is a hero to me . That is all I can say ,” says Thabang . “ He saved my life when he asked me to come to Gqeberha , and he has been able to get the best out of me . I will forever be grateful to coach Mike , he is like a father to me .” And that is a big part Mike ’ s coaching success , that he really cares about his athletes . During the COVID pandemic he supported his athletes financially from his own pocket , and if you speak to any of his athletes , they echo the words of Thabang , that he is like a father to all his athletes . |
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Pushing the pace in the last kay of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K
A few weeks later , Thabang had to settle for fourth place in the Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon , but took a valuable lesson out of the race . “ I was doing a lot of the driving there . I learnt from that . I cannot do all the work all the time . It is ok to push the pace , but not to become the pacemaker ,” he explains . ( At the post-race press conference , the athletes who finished ahead of him all made a point of thanking Thabang for his pacing efforts .) He was then prominent again at the front of the second RUN YOUR CITY race in Cape Town on 15 May , where he once again finished third behind Daniel and Precious , and more was to follow .
On 9 July , at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K , Thabang once again finished third , after an enthralling three-man sprint finish , with winner Kabelo Mulaudzi clocking 27:56 , and Stephen and Thabang both stopping the clock on 27:59 , but with Stephen a fraction ahead to take second place . This was the first time that three South Africans had dipped under 28 in a local race , and it made Thabang just the second South African to go sub-28 twice – the other is Stephen , who set the previous SA Record of 27:38 in Manchester in 2015 , and now finally cracked a sub-28 on home soil . Uniquely , Thabang is the only South African who can boast he has gone sub-28 twice in one year .
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National Champion Again
In the meantime , Thabang was also focusing on the longer half marathon distance , and at the Nelson Mandela Half Marathon on the 3rd of June , which doubled as the SA Half Marathon Championships , he ran a mature , measured race , letting Mathews Leeto do most of the work and only coming to the front after 15km . In the final kilometre , Thabang put in a devastating kick to leave Precious and SA 21km Record-holder Stephen in his wake . His winning time was 1:00:29 , a full 90 seconds better than his previous best , and it earned him his first National Title since winning that SA 5000m Title six years earlier in 2017 .
That saw Thabang selected for the South African 21.1km team for the World Road Running Champs , along with Precious , Stephen and Elroy , and Thabang ’ s preparations for Riga were meticulous . After his fantastic 27:59 in Durban in July , he used a 10km in Gqeberha as a leg-loosener in August , just to stay sharp , and clocked 28:51 . A final fitness test for the World Champs followed on 3 September at the Hollywoodbets Durban 10k , where Thabang finished third in 28:07 . Then it was off to Latvia , where Thabang posted that first 59 … and rued that missed bottle .
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The Future Looks Bright
Thabang is just 28 , but he is already the third-fastest South African ever over 21.1km and one of only three South Africans to break 60 minutes over the distance . He is also the fourth-fastest South African ever over 10km , and the only one to run two sub- 28s in the same year . Furthermore , it is clear he is not done yet with either distance , and the chances of him breaking one or both of the South African Records over those distance is not just possible , but quite likely . He is in the shape of his life , and his journey from being close to hanging up his running shoes just a few years ago , to being on top of the world today , is testament to his tenacity , hunger , work ethic and talent , and the support crew who believe in him . The best is yet to come for Thabang .
The smile of a newly crowned national champion … and World Champs qualifier !
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Images : Gavin Ryan & courtesy NMB Half Marathon |
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Thabang describes his coach as being like a father to him . This hug says it all |
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Claiming 24 a second ISSUE national 162 | www . modernathlete . co . za title at the SA Half Marathon Champs in Gqeberha |