Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 56, March 2014 | Page 10

In the Lead

The Mzazi Blitz
– BY DONALD MATHIPA & LAUREN VAN DER VYVER

A

fter a congested first six months of 2013 that saw his
training programme disrupted by perhaps too many races
and track meets, Gladwin Mzazi put his head down and
focused on a more balanced second half of the year, and
it really paid off for him. In June he came home from the
World Student Games in Russia with a gold medal in the
half marathon, then in October he won the Nike We Run
Jozi 10km, bagging himself an invitation to the Nike We
Run Rio 10km in Brazil a month later, where he took the
men’s race in 28:30. In between that he also took honours
at the Dr Sam Nujoma Half Marathon in Namibia on top of
his win at the 10.5km at the Johnson Crane Marathon, and
then to round it all off, he posted the fastest half marathon
time by a South African for the year when he finished
seventh in a PB 1:01:12 at the New Delhi Half Marathon in
India in December.
“The first half of the year didn’t go well because my
programme was so congested,” he explains. “I went
to the World Cross Country Champs with little training
and then I was down with flu. In June, I picked up my
training and went on to Russia, getting the gold in the half
marathon at the World Student Games.” That, he says was

Victory at last year’s Nike We
Run Jozi 10km – his ticket to Rio.

a confidence-building triumph, because the win saw him
beating his training partner, friend and regular racing rival
Stephen Mokoka, who clinched the silver for SA. “I train
with Stephen and guys like Benedict Moeng and Precious
Mashele. We’re competitive, but we motivate each other,
and it’s all about who’s more eager on the day!”

TRACK TO ROAD
Born in the Eastern Cape, Gladwin (25) grew up playing
soccer and participating in boxing. “I did sprints at
school, but I was never serious. It was only in high
school that I stepped up to nationals and got a coach,” he
says. “I progressed to the SA Games in 2005 and won the
3000m, but I had to juggle that and come back to write a
test days later, so it was difficult.” Still, Gladwin managed
to find the balance between training and academics,
and in his first year at varsity, he took on the 5000m
and qualified for the African Junior Champs with a 13:04
finish, then also made it to the World Student Games for
his first taste of senior international competition.
“The competition was crazy and I finished third in the
10 000m, coming back with more experience, and I was
motivated to do better.” His spirited nature prompted
a win in the 10 000m at the Student Games in 2009 in
Belgrade, followed by fifth in the half marathon in 2011.
From there, Gladwin picked up the 5000m title in 2012
at the SA Champs. However, he realised the only way
forward was to move from his beloved track beginnings
to the road. “Track has always been in my heart, but the
Yellow Pages meets were the only real opportunity to
get out there. On the road, you get exposure. There is
little support behind track and the young guys want to
go straight to the road nowadays. It’s sad, because track
helped me progress so much, but after my 18th place at
Gladwin looking comfortable at the Tembisa Mile in 2012.

the World Half Champs in 2012 as well as a win at
the 10km at BestMed Tuks the same year, I knew my
future was on the road. Now, with my coach Michael
Seme, it’s been a fantastic build-up to this year.”

VARSITY LIFE
Today, Gladwin is studying Sports Management at
the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) and
will graduate with a BTech in Business Admin in
April, which he did through the Vaal University of
Technology. While taking the majority of his classes
in the morning, Gladwin usually manages up to 15km
to start his day, averaging 120 to 150km a week in
prepping for 10km events. It’s double that when
Michael steps up his training group’s programme to
half marathon preparation, with 15km tempo runs
three times a week and speedwork in the afternoons.
Weekends are open for longer training runs and
races.
Despite his affiliation with TUT, for whom he
competes at Varsity Cup competitions and the USSA
Games, Gladwin normally runs in Transnet’s red
and white colours in other competitions. “It’s hard
competing against Stephen and guys like Elroy
Gelant, who is mastering road and track, too! For
us athletes, it’s important to ignore the politics and
get on with what we love to do. I’d love to see

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ISSUE 56 MARCH 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

Images: Peter Mokoko & Courtesy Donald Mathipa & Gladwin Mzazi

After a stellar second half of 2013,
including a number of high