ROAD RUNNING
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the desired time . It ’ s a race that ’ s going to be filled with top athletes , so there is no doubt that fast times will be on offer . That race hasn ’ t disappointed since it was started , and with the amount of training I ’ m doing , I can finally achieve to run under 28 minutes . If that happens , it would open more doors for me ,” he says .
Launching His Career
Born in rural Mandeni , in the Northern part of KwaZulu- Natal , Bongelani is one of six children raised by a single mother . His love for running started when he was at school , after he watched a race on TV in 2015 , and he excelled on the track , earning provincial colours and finishing fifth in the 3000m at the SA Junior and Youth Championship . “ I think getting to represent the province as a junior was the big eye-opener for me . That selection made me realise that I had a future in running . Before that , I was just running for fun , without realising that one day I could make a living with it ,” he says .
“ I was still staying in a rural area at that time , without having a great knowledge of some things in life . When I finished fifth , many coaches were impressed with my performance and started to advise me to take athletics with another eye . This is when I realised that my talent can take me places , after I got lot of people telling me how athletes are ending up looking after their families through sport . So , when I moved to Durban , I started to enter the races , and I became familiar with the races happening across the province .”
Bongelani soon began winning local races , or finishing on the podium or top 10 positions , in spite of having no coach and with limited training aids such as supplement . He also steadily moved up in distance , which saw him run the Nedbank Breaking Barriers
50km in Gqeberha early in 2021 , where he finished 23rd in 2:52:49 . That year he also ran the Prince Mangosuthu Ultra 52km , finishing 13th in 3:09:01 as well as the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon ( finishing 61st in 2:26:34 ). In early 2022 he won the Durban City Marathon in 2:27:45 .
A huge highlight was being selected for the South African team for the 2022 IAU World 100km Championships in Germany in August 2022 , with Team SA taking the bronze medal in the team competition . Bongelani crossed the line in 7:02:20 , in 35th position overall and fifth South African . Later that year he finished 13th in the Soweto Marathon in 2:25:36 . However , then he made a momentous change in focus , and that saw his running reach new heights !
Making a Big Change
At the beginning of 2023 , Bongelani started working with renowned coach Xolani Mabhida , who is the former coach of three-time Comrades Marathon winner Bongmusa Mthembu . “ Coach Xolani said I ’ m too young to turn myself into a marathon and ultra-marathon distance runner , and he said I must go back to doing middle distances in order to build speed ,” recalls Bongelani . “ I decided , let me listen to him , because he has experience when it comes to coaching . I knew about his work and achievements before we started to work together . When I started with Coach Xolani , it wasn ’ t easy , as I had to adapt to his training programme , but I told myself , let me work hard for my future . The results started to come , and I started to run faster .”
That saw the lanky runner really start to make waves on the athletics scene as his times came down . Throughout the year , he managed to consistently dip under 29 minutes in 10km races , including a 28:26 PB in the Chillies 10km in Durban , where he went toe-to-toe with the late Mbuleli Mathanga and finished second , just two seconds adrift of the multiple SA Champion . Bongelani followed that with an impressive 1:02:45 personal best effort in the Nelson Mandela Bay Half Marathon in Gqeberha , which incorporated the SA Half Marathon Championships , and then clocked 28:28 for sixth place in the HollywoodBets Durban 10K .
However , while 2023 was a breakthrough year for Bongelani , this year has seen him step it up still further , and cement his status amongst the best in the country . His two top six results in the RUN YOUR CITY Series , running not just against the top local athletes , but against quality opposition from East Africa , have played a large part in that , and Bongelani says his performances from last year into this year have outlined his ambition to become one of the country ’ s top runners . “ I don ’ t think I surprised myself with the way things turned out last year . At the back of my mind , I knew I am able to run fast , but it was a matter of making it happen .
“ Sometimes as athletes , we doubt ourselves or our capabilities . It was a matter of overcoming those nerves , and the good results started to come afterwards . I knew that I had speed , but the execution wasn ’ t there yet . It ’ s also the approach that I was using – even if it worked sometimes , it was not at the standard I wanted to be . It was frustrating at times , but I didn ’ t give up as I continued to work hard to get the best out of myself . And after the results started to come , I told myself the next point is to stay consistent throughout . That means I must dig deep in training in order to stay competitive , and now that foundation I laid will propel me in my quest to be among best runners in the country ,” he adds .
Expressing Gratitude
With the Durban race coming up on 7 July , as well as other races to look forward to in the coming months , Bongelani says he really appreciates the hard work of the various organisers , and his club , for the opportunities to race against the best . “ I think getting to run races like the Absa 10km races is crucial in terms of development as an athlete . These races feature runners from Kenya , Uganda and Ethiopia , with the fast times , and to run with them helps us as athletes to run fast . We need these kind of races in order to be up there with the world class athletes , so I think we must applaud the organisers for bringing us the competition into our country .”
He also says he must thank his club for supporting his dream to race the best . “ Before this year , I didn ’ t have the privilege to attend all the Absa races , but at the moment my club is stretching its budget to get me to the start line . I am glad to say I have never disappointed them , as I have performed well in these races so far .” He also has an extra word of thanks for his coach : “ I must credit him for shaping me into being the athlete I am today . Before I met him , I didn ’ t have a coach in my life , and didn ’ t see the point of having one . I thought the talent alone will be enough for me to be a good athlete . I think Coach Xolani is a godsend in my life . Without him , I wouldn ’ t have achieved these times .”
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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