Andile Manzi recently set a national record and won double gold at the Colleges Sports Association for South Africa (COSACSA) Nationals in Cape Town.

Manzi said she is thrilled and grateful after delivering a standout performance at the CoSACSA Nationals in Cape Town, where she secured a double gold in long-distance events and set a national record.

Manzi said her performance went according to plan despite competing in events outside her usual programme, including the 3000m and 4x400m relay.

“I am thrilled and grateful for the wonderful performance that I had at the CoSACSA Nationals since I could not attend the senior nationals,” she said.

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She explained that although she initially entered only the 5000m, she made a bold decision to also compete in the 3000m to challenge herself.

“I ran the 3 000m on day two, having the 5 000m the following day. After getting the gold and smashing my personal best in both events and breaking the CoSACSA national record, they saw that this girl was not playing,” said Manzi.

Manzi said the experience significantly boosted her confidence and shaped her outlook on her athletic future.

She admitted that she initially struggled with self-belief, but credited her coach for encouraging her to approach the competition with freedom.

“To tell you the truth, I didn’t believe in myself. I had a lot of doubts, but I’m grateful for the encouragement my coach gave me.

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“He just said go there and have fun, then we will fix everything after the first 10km,” she cited.
She said the experience taught her valuable lessons about pacing, courage, and race discipline.

“I learned to have courage throughout the race, know how to pace yourself, and never try to run someone else’s race, just stick to your own plan,” she said.

Looking ahead, Manzi said she is embracing long-distance running and hopes to continue improving her times while competing among the country’s top athletes.

“I am definitely going to start loving long-distance running and enjoy it until I improve my times and see myself running among the top athletes in CGA,” she said.