'Top three!' - Mosiako eyes Commonwealth Games and Two Oceans success as organisers up prize purse

After clocking a season’s best 2:10:49 to grab fifth place at the ADNOC Abu Dhabi Marathon on 13 December, Thabang Mosiako is bullish about his prospects of earning a medal for South Africa at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. The 30-year-old feels that the two marathons he has raced thus far, the first of which was a 2:09:14 clocking in Abu Dhabi in 2024 for South Africa’s second fastest marathon debut of all time, have prepared him well for a global championship where sub 2:13 has been enough for a podium finish in the last two editions of the games.

“Remember that we have the Commonwealth Games this year,” he told #TheTopRunner. “I’m looking forward to that one. I’d be happy if I can represent my country proudly there. I’m starting to get a better understanding of the marathon, so I’d be happy to represent my country. That’s my main goal now. I can promise top three,” said the Nedbank Running Club man.

Mosiako in action at the 2023 World Road Running Championships where he took sixth place in the half marathon race in 59:52. His goal is to represent SA over the full marathon distance at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July. Photo Credit: Supplied.

To get himself ready for what would be the biggest achievement of his fledgling marathon career, South Africa’s third fastest half marathoner of all time (59:52) plans to use the first quarter of the 2026 season to polish his 10km and 21km speed. The Potchefstroom native who in 2023 became the first South African to break 28 minutes for 10km three times in one season says winning the Totalsports Two Oceans again as he did in 2024 will be a key indicator of his pre-marathon fitness.

“I’m gonna do track and ore track so that I can return to running 27 minutes for 10km. I owe my fans 27’s because I didn’t run any 27 last year for the first time in three years. So I need to go back to speed so I can return to those 27’s. I’m also going for the Two Oceans Half marathon again and correct the mistake I made last year,” he explained referring to his sixth place finish in 2025.

Mosiako is aiming to win the Totalsports Two Oceans Half Marathon again on 12 April as part of his preparation for the Commonwealth Games. Photo Credit: Tobias Ginsberg.

If Mosiako can go on to win the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon title as hie did in 2024, he will pocket an impressive R50 000 in prize money. This comes after Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon Commercial and Staging Partner Stillwater Sports unveiled a new and improved total prize purse of R2 600 000 which amounts to an increase of 62%. 

Wade Bromfield, General Manager of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon, highlighted the broader impact of the increased prize purse: “Increasing the prize purse is more than just a financial boost - it’s an investment in the athletes and the integrity of the race itself. It shows our commitment to supporting both local and international elite runners, while also elevating the prestige of the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon. This step reinforces our mission to create a race experience that inspires ambition, celebrates achievement, and upholds our position as a world-class event.”