eMalahleni pastor runs 10th Comrades fuelled by faith
From the dusty roads of Phola to the Comrades Marathon, eMalahleni Pastor Thato Mahlangu is on the verge of making history in his clan.
When the gun fires for this year’s Comrades Marathon, Pastor Thato Mahlangu will not only be battling relentless hills but will be running into the history books.
With nine Comrades Marathon medals already in the bag, the Die Heuwel resident is just a step away from earning his Green Number, securing his status as a Comrades veteran.
“I’m really proud of myself, from the dusty road of Phola to participating on international stages. Also, I’m the first in the entire generation of Mahlangu to start running and get this far,” Thato said.
The Comrades Marathon journey is deeply personal for the runner, as he said he always runs his own race, no pacing buses and no partners.
“I zoom out from the race and just go through my personal life,” he said.
“When the going gets tough, I always think about why I am doing it. I am doing it for my kids; I want them to know that nothing is impossible.”
His running track record is nothing short of legendary.
From overcoming childhood asthma to clocking a spectacular 09:15 uprun in 2019, Thato has proven his personal mantra, “Giving up is not an option.”
Bhekisisa Dladla’s eyes set on the silver medal at the Comrades Marathon
— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) June 11, 2026
Read more here: https://t.co/dtTFLyTElP#witbanknews #witbank #localnews pic.twitter.com/mYJMU9Gy58
To prepare himself, he said he would join his running group for their 12×12 challenge, where they run 12km each day from December 1 to 12.
They rest for a few days, then start with a Christmas challenge: they run from December 20 until 25, and close out the year with a 31km run on December 31.
“I love this challenge because it has taught me what consistency and commitment are. For December only, we clock around 365km for that month,” he said.
READ MORE Bhekisisa ready and all set to tackle Comrades Marathon
As he prepares his traditional pre-race meal of oats and bananas, Thato said he is ready for this year’s race, and crossing the finish line will be a deeply spiritual victory.
“It’s going to be a very emotional day for me, getting my green number at last. To me, this green means a lot; my kids will use it when they are ready to run Comrades,” he said.
Your city, your story, as it happens. Stay in the loop with WITBANK NEWS.
Find us on our website, Facebook, X, Instagram or TikTok
