'My achievements show the power of prayer' - Seloyi reflects on magical 2025

"My coach is happy," said Bennet Seloyi when asked about Best Ngwenya's feelings on his breakthrough 2025 season. "At the beginning of the year he told me this was my year to perform at a higher level and count myself amongst South Africa’s top runners."

This time last year, the 25-year-old was running for an elite development club Waterfall AC with a marathon best of 2:17:11 and hadn’t broken even broken 30 minutes in a 10km road race. Twelve months later, the Thembisan is will end 2025 as the reigning SA Marathon champion with a 10km best of 28:12 and the winner of the inaugural Kimberley Big Hole Diamonds and Dorings Marathon where he clocked a lifetime best 2:13:22 to take line honours ahead of a bunch of quality marathoners including Stephen Mokoka (second in 2:15:31) and Lucky Mohale.

Seloyi smiles are he savours a dominant 2-minute victory at the Kimberley Big Hole Diamonds and Dorings Marathon. Photo Credit: Kimberley Big Hole Diamonds and Dorings Marathon Media.

"Without displace there's no where you can go," explained the man who only signed his first professional running contract at the beginning of the year when he joined the Boxer Athletic Club. "I do exactly as my coach tells me and he trusts me to execute the programme even in his absence. Sometimes I train alone for two weeks without seeing him, but I still do the programme," said the reigning SA Marathon champion who will also represent the country at the World Cross Country Championships in the USA in January.

The inaugural Kimberley Big Hole Diamonds and Dorings Marathon boasted a winners purse of R200 000 and attracted a strong field of top runners including Comrades Marathon champions Tete Dijana and Edward Mothibi as well as multiple SA Champion and four-time Olympian Stephen Mokoka. Photo Credit: Kimberley Big Hole Diamonds and Dorings Marathon Marathon.

Winning that marathon in the Northern Cape which was broadcast live on the SABC on 22 November and placing prominently in the top ten of four of five Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series races this season - including a third place finish at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY JOBURG 10K on National Heritage Day - all of which were broadcast live on SuperSport has earned Matlakala Seloyi the admiration of his community back in Limpopo, the province he calls home.

"The people at home are so happy for me. They say my achievements show the power of prayer and that God is great. I also see that their prayers and blessings on me have borne fruit. I’m thankful."