Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 63, October 2014 | Page 22

Ma

living legend

MA: Then in 1976, at your peak, you
called it a day on the track. Why?
TITUS: Honestly, I was tired. Three

times a year, we’d be off travelling
overseas and there was nothing else
to prove. So my last track event was
in Welkom in ’76 and I won it with the
crowd behind me again. Then it was
a 10-year layoff from the sport, until
in 1985, I decided to look at taking on
marathons.

MA: And it clicked! In 1991, you broke

Titus admires his
historic gold at the
1974 SA Open Champs

the Titan

In April 1974, a 32-year-old
Titus Mamabolo from GaMolepo
in Limpopo became the first black
athlete to win an ‘open’ national
title in Apartheid-era South Africa
when he won the 5000m by
outrunning pre-race favourite,
Springbok Ewald Bonzet. In later
years, he went on to become a
record-breaking marathon athlete
as well. – BY LAUREN VAN DER VYVER

MA: It’s been 40 years since that epic

tussle with Ewald Bonzet, which came just
a month after you won the Segregated
Championships 5000m title as well. What
was it like having a victory like that under
your belt?

TITUS:

Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria had
around 5000 people coming to watch and a
lot of the crowd were behind me! That was
South African athletics those days. I always
knew it was going to be tough because
back then the competition was strong.

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Before the 5000m event, I thought I
would feed off the crowd and it helped
me to the finish.

MA: Where did your love of running
come from?

TITUS: I started running in Standard 6

in GaMolepo, but it really started when I
was 15. After school, I moved to Pretoria
to look for a job and started taking the
sport a little more seriously, and in 1963
I joined a running club in Mamelodi. I
remember joining the team one weekend
for this one-mile race and I was runnerup to Edward Setshedi. Everyone was so
surprised at how well I did.
After that, I represented Northern
Transvaal in Welkom and did quite well.
I was just doing it for fun, but Edward
said I should train harder. Then it just
went quickly – racing on track, crosscountry and then travelling overseas on
15 occasions for South Africa. I remember
visiting West Germany, Italy, North
America and Brazil. There was so much
support for us black athletes!

ISSUE 63 OCTOBER 2014 / www.modernathlete.co.za

TITUS: It was one of my greatest

moments. I asked someone what the
masters’ record was and it was 2:19.40,
and I told everyone I’d break it. I
finished in 2:19.29. It was just after I
turned 50, too, so it was very special.
I was in very good form back then, but
people were surprised that I was that
quick. The transition was easy from the
track to the longer distances. My first
few marathon attempts were slow, but
then it improved. I think when I came
back in 1985, I wanted a new challenge.

MA: Your grandson Ludwick seems

to have taken after you with ste