Mnisi to make Boxer debut at Boxer Super Run Durban

As it was a year ago when Karabo More won the Boxer Super Run Durban on her Boxer Athletics Club debut last year, so too can it be for Msawenkosi Mnisi who has officially joined the country’s premiers 10km and 5km team and is looking forward to running his first race in red at South Africa’s richest 5km race tomorrow. The 20-year-old who hails from the Masai Athletic Club is the latest Boxer recruit from the Caster and Violet Semenya camp that is behind the success of Glenrose Xaba, Karabo Mailula and Karabo More.

Mnisi celebrates victory in the 10km at the Exxaro Challenge on 20 September. Photo Credit: Tumelo Mabua.

“I don’t think there’s one single secret,” said Violet Ledile Semenya who won the Athletics South Africa coach of the year award in January. “It’s a combination of consistency, communication, and passion. I believe in building strong relationships with each athlete, understanding their goals, personalities, and what motivates them. I’m very hands-on with planning, recovery, and mental preparation. Most importantly, I try to create an environment where they feel supported but also challenged to give their best. Success comes when the athlete and the coach believe in the same vision and work together with patience and discipline.”

For Mnisi that vision has started to materialise as he has broken new ground in 2025. This season the man who represented South Africa in the junior men’s race at the 2024 World Cross Country Championships, has set a host of personal bests from 1500m (3:50.12), 3000m (8:16.10), 5km (14:10) and 10km (29:36). His achievements are especially notable when considered in light of the fact that he is one of the country’s few top male athletes who is coached by a woman.

Mnisi in action during the junior men's race at the 2023 World Cross Country Championships in Bathurst Australia. Photo Credit: SS Athletics.

“I believe the key has been mutual respect and trust. From the beginning, I make it clear that I’m not here to control anyone I’m here to help them reach their potential. With Minisi, it was about understanding him as a person first, not just an athlete. Once he saw the effort, structure, and consistency I bring to training, he responded positively. I think when athletes realize that you genuinely care about their growth, gender stops being a factor what matters is the results, the work ethic, and the respect we build through that process,” explained Semenya.

It was only a matter of time then before the performances produced by the combination between athlete and coach began to draw interest from the professional clubs, particularly after the youngster who hails from Embalenhle in the Mpumalanga town of Secunda, took fourth place overall in the senior men’s 10km race at the national cross country championships in Middelburg on 6 September. After consulting with his coach, Mnisi chose to join his training partners Xaba and More at Boxer.

Mnisi goes shoulder to shoulder against eventual champion Kabelo Mulaudzi in the senior men's 10km race at the 2025 ASA Cross Country Championships. Photo Credit: Nkangala Athletic Academy.

“Boxer has always shown great support for athletes, both on and off the track. They understand what it takes to build and sustain a successful running career, and they invest in their athletes’ development. I also appreciate the family like environment, it’s professional but still personal. They give my athletes a platform to compete at a high level while also ensuring they have the necessary resources and structure around them. For me as a coach, knowing my athletes are in good hands makes a big difference.”

Tomorrow (12 October) the man who took the silver medal at the ASA 5km Championships in Phalaborwa in July, will take on the gold medalist from those championships Kabelo Mulaudzi as he aims to record the first sub 14 minute 5km clocking of his career at the Boxer Super Run Durban.