Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 54, January 2014 | Page 13

Feature

Trail’s Mr Tough
With two years of multiple victories and podium
spots behind him, Thabang Madiba is now
recognised as one of the top trail running talents in
SA, but it wasn’t until finding a new coach, and a
new intensity in his training, that his results came
good. – BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER

“I’ve become a technical runner and I love taking
the hills with speed,” says Thabang, “I’ve found the
downhills the best thing when I need to catch up in the
last few kays of a race. I also remember taking on AJ at
the Red Bull LionHeart in November, where I was lying
third for a while but managed to close the gap and then
pull about a minute ahead of the third man, but AJ still
just took the title.”

HITTING THE HILLS
Given the success that the man from Ga-Rankuwa has
enjoyed on the trails, it’s hard to believe that he only
did his first trail race in 2009, with little knowledge of
the technicality of the sport. “I was always an athlete,
and I remember being quite good in the 1500m in high
school, but I started mainly on the road,” says Thabang.
“But at home there was a small mountain I could run
on and I enjoyed it so much. Now I am driven by the
uniqueness of the trails I race. It’s great to get into
it – you get to view nature for free and there is always
something new. Every trail is different and that’s why it
keeps me motivated!”

In the last few years, Thabang’s talent on the bike as
well as his feet gave him the opportunity to represent
SA at the ITU Duathlon World Champs in Spain in
2011, where he placed 21st overall. But it was after
joining forces with coach Nico Sterk early in 2012 that
Thabang showed he was destined for great things on
the trails. He collected wins at Hedianga Ridge, the
Cradle Mayhem, Diamond Dash V and the Roodepoort
Ramble events, and also finished third in the Old
Mutual Two Oceans Trail Run. In 2013 he secured
another third place at the Two Oceans Trail Race, won
in Jonkershoek and also grabbed eighth at the Otter
Trail Marathon.
“I always had my running, but it wasn’t until I met my
coach that things came my way. Nico showed me a
little more control in training and right now I’m training
two hours a day each in the mornings and afternoons,
while cycling in-between for fitness and doing long
rides of three hours on the weekends,” says Thaba ng,
who also does sessions on the track to work on his
speed. “I needed a programme I could follow properly,
and I’ve definitely grown from that. Now I’m used to
six days of intensity a week.”

after a hard training session he goes straight home to
play with his son. “It’s about commitment for me,” he
says, “I manage to do it all and make sure I support
my family as well.”
He also says he finds it encouraging to see how
quickly trail running is growing in this country. A few
years back, he saw very little competition for the
elites, but now there are athletes putting their stamp
on races all over. “In the last three years it’s changed
a lot! Now there’s more competition out there, which
is great motivation for me!” And so, looking ahead to
2014, Thabang will be chasing more wins: “I want
to go back to the Two Oceans Trail Run because for
me it beats any race for scenery and the atmosphere
from the crowd. There are also the XTERRA
competitions in the coming months, and qualifying for
the XTERRA World Champs. That’s my ultimate goal!”
Images: Andrew King & Dylan Haskin

T

he 35km Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge race in
May 2013 showed exactly why Thabang Madiba is now
such a respected trail runner in SA. With 5km to go he
was three minutes behind the leaders, but using his
natural speed, technique on steep downhills and ability
to pick it up in the latter part of a race, he chased down
trail stars AJ Calitz, Ian Don-Wauchope and Michael
Bailey to grab gold in 2:59:56. With it came the title of
SA Long Distance Trail Running Champion, and a spot in
the SA team for the World Long Distance Trail Running
Champs in Poland.

SUPPORTING CAST
Thabang says the thing he is most thankful for is
the support he gets from family, friends and Nico.
“It’s been hard, because I have a three-year-old
son, so there needs to be a balance always, but
my family supports my running, and I also have an
amazing neighbour who drives me to races, while
the community always has a good word to say.”
Fatherhood is never far from Thabang’s mind, and

Thabang tops the podium at the Jonkershoek Mountain Challenge

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