"No pressure" - Mzazi upbeat about Comrades debut after grabbing runner-up spot at Mpileng TNU 50km
- Mosibodi Whitehead
- 7 minutes ago
- 2 min read
Known for his prowess over 10 000m and the half marathon, former World Student Games half marathon champion Gladwin Mzazi has decided to take on his first Comrades Marathon. Over the last two seasons the Boxer Athletic Club top runner has become a regular at a few 50km races around the country and was seen in action once again this weekend when he finished as the runner-up at the Mpileng Tshwane North Ultra 50km on Saturday 18 April.
"The distance is nice but it's tough. You need patience," he told #TheTopRunner after clocking 3:00:22 at Athletics Gauteng North's only single lap ultra marathon which is runs over the eastern spine of the Magaliesburg mountain range.
Mzazi was one of over 3000 participants who braved the rainy conditions to take on 50km, 21km, 10km and 5km in the fourth edition of an event which is billed as the ultimate Comrades training run.
"I was targeting around 3 hours or 3:01:00 so I'm happy. I just wanted to test myself today with a controlled pace and a pushed a bit later on in the race. So far so good. I'm on the right path," explained the man who is the holder of a 2:17:43 best over the standard marathon.
That path will lead the 37-year-old former tow-time SA 5000m champion to his first taste of The Ultimate Human Race. Mzazi was unconcerned about finishing more than three minutes behind Remaketse Lekaka who won the race in 2:56:30 saying he treated the hilly race with an elevation profile of over 600m as a timed long run ahead of his comrades debut.
"This is all in preparation for my first Comrades. It’s about time now. I’ve done enough of the short distances. I think the age as well allows me to do well in the long distances. But no pressure for this one. I just want to go there and enjoy."
Comments