"There is more to come" - Mpumalanga rising star Gugulethu Thanjekwayo looks back on breakthrough 2026 season
When Mpumalanga middle-distance sensation Gugulethu Thanjekwayo lined up for the combined U16 and U17 boys’ 6km race at the ASA Cross-Country Championships at Curro Hazeldean in Pretoria last month, he had one goal in mind – to leave nothing on the course. Fresh from a third-place finish in the U18 boys’ 3 000m at the Cossasa Games in Zimbabwe just days earlier, the Athletics Mpumalanga athlete was determined to be more aggressive from the start. He positioned himself among the chasing pack before making his move in the closing stages, sticking with eventual overall winner and U16 champion Tiisetso Malungane to finish third overall and claim the U17 title.
“All I wanted was to do my best. I did not want to repeat the previous year’s mistake of holding back because I know my competitors can finish stronger than me,” said the 17-year-old from coal mining town of Hendrina. “It was an unexplainable feeling – third overall and first in the U17 category. I guess I am now in the South African athletics history books,” he told #TheTopRunner.
The Nkangala Athletics Academy (NAA) athlete has come a long way since joining the programme under coach Emmanuel Mabaso as a youngster with little knowledge of competitive athletics. Mabaso has helped mould him into a tactically aware and increasingly competitive middle-distance runner, while the academy’s emphasis on education has helped Thanjekwayo develop beyond the track.
“When I joined NAA, I was just an ordinary runner. The coach worked on my strength and invited me to train at his house because I stay far from the rest of the team. Training with the team and the way NAA does things allowed me to learn, adapt and take my running seriously.”
Thanjekwayo believes the academy has also helped him see the bigger picture..“Education is the first priority in NAA. If you balance both running and education very well, the club assists you with everything you need. NAA helped me to see a bigger picture.”
His breakthrough 2026 season includes a runner-up finish in the 3 000m at the SA Schools Track and Field Championships which took place at the Pilditch Athletics Stadium in May, where he clocked a personal best 8:41.44. He also finished third in the 1 500m in another lifetime best of 3:57.22. The 3 000m remains his favourite event, but Thanjekwayo knows there is still work to do.
“Middle distance is my speciality, and the 3 000m is my favourite event. I am working on maintaining a high pace and improving my finish because I lost most of my races in the last 300m.”
Inspired by his teammates and driven by bigger ambitions, he is refusing to rest on his recent success.
“My teammates inspire me. We work as a team because the coach can be tough and hard to please. Mostly, I have a dream to achieve more, and that is what keeps me moving. The podium finish has put me on the spot and under pressure. I need to maintain my fitness, but I believe this is just the beginning. There is more to come.”
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