'My life changed completely' - Mncedisi Mkhize reflects on 2007 Comrades podium and backs drive to unearth rural talent
This year will mark two decades since Mncedisi Mkhize made his Comrades Marathon debut. Since then, Mkhize has gone on to finish 11 Ultimate Human Races in which he obtained seven gold, two Wally Hallyward and two silver medals. His most memorable performance came during the 2007 edition of the world's oldest ultra marathon where he delivered a scintillating 5:32:50 to take third spot overall behind two Russians Grigory Murzin and overall winner Leonid Shvetsov. Mkhize still remembers the day vividly.
"It remains one of the best days of my running career," he told #TheTopRunner. "I was happy with the way I ran on the day. I had planned to go through the halfway mark in 2 hours and 50 minutes. By doing that, I would have known that I'm in the strong position to finish inside the top 10," said Mkhize, reflecting on that magical Down Run.
"Before the race, I also decided to keep a close eye on the Russians because they were strong at Comrades during those days. Things turned out well from the beginning of the race as I felt strong and by halfway I didn't feel tired at all. Then I started pushing as hard as I can in order to finish in the podium. When I entered in Pinetown, people motivated me as they were cheering me on the road. That gave me extra momentum which was something I needed. When I entered the stadium, I heard that I was the third man and was overcome with joy and happiness. It was one of the best days of my life," explained the man who achieved this success while being self-coached.
For his efforts, Mkhize who hails in UMthwalume near Hibberdene on the KwaZulu-Natal South Coast, pocketed over R300 000 in prize money as well as bonuses from his club Maxed Elite and the provincial and local government for being the first KZN man across the finish line on the 90km run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. He managed to invest it wisely by building his family a home.
"It was the first time I saw that athletics can pay you so much. I managed to have well above R300 000 in total as the money is taxable. I got good advice from people on how to use my money. I then built the house for myself and family as shelter is the most important thing in life. I even bought a car with that money. So my life changed completely because I even quit my job to focus on running. That third place finish brought about a lot of exciting change in my life," he shared.
Now 44 years old, Mkhize who still runs in the colours of Maxed Elite, believes a proper investment in rural areas will unearth more future champions. He has therefore thrown his weight behind his hometown race - the Mfundo Arnold Lushaba Half Marathon - where he will also line up on the 23rd of February.
"I think for athletics to grow, local government must make more of an effort to invest in it. From making sure that fields are in a proper condition for athletes to train, to making more competitions available in the rural areas in order for people to participate. Most of the facilities are neglected and in my area, there is only one race which is the Mfundo Lushaba Half Marathon. It's sad because we are losing potential champions. I know athletics is not as big as soccer but we can do better. Plus athletics doesn't require much as you can just put on your shoes and run on the road," explained a concerned Mkhize.
But does he still harbour any ambitions of competing at the highest Comrades Marathon level? Mkhize who earned his last gold medal in 2016 and produced 7:19:22 in 2022 believes he still has what it takes to pose a threat on June 8. "Last year, I ran the race but pulled out early as I used a bad supplement and it gave me problems. This year, I have been training hard in order to improve. I won't stop trying as I love this race. At training, I'm in good shape and have been injury free so I can't wait to line up for Comrades."
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