From soccer player to elite marathon runner
Local is preparing to take on the Comrades Marathon again.
Kwa-Thema – Jabulani Mashinini will join thousands of long-distance runners across the country running the 90km-long Comrades Marathon on June 11.
This will be the 47-year-old’s seventh Comrades. He is planning to finish the race in 07:25 to collect his sixth silver medal.
Jabulani started running in 2015 after recovering from a collarbone injury he sustained during a soccer match, forcing him to quit playing.
The elite runner told the African Reporter because of his age; he decided to do long-distance running instead of track.
“I joined Waterfall Running Club to qualify as an elite runner,” he said.
Jabulani said he has always been a sports person and that is why he opted for athletics when his dreams of becoming a soccer player came to an end.
“The transition from being a soccer player to a long-distance athlete was tricky. I had to condition my body to adjust,” he said.
The runner completed his first Comrades Marathon in 08:20 and received a Bill Rowan medal.
He then realised he has the stamina for long-distance running and started putting more time into his training.
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According to Jabulani, in 2016, he received his first silver medal when he finished the race in 07:09.
The runner added that he prefers training alone as it prepares him for the period he will spend running by himself during the races.
“During the marathon, there is about a two-hour window where you run alone before coming across other runners.
“I pick a quiet road as it prepares me mentally for that time. Like in everything you do and want to achieve, as a runner you need to have immediate, short and long-term goals and how you intend to achieve them,” he added.
