King of Comrades: ‘running was only an afterthought’
Bong’musa Mthembu has quietly etched himself into the annals of the historic marathon and could be regarded as one of the most unassuming champs, writes Khanyiso Tshwaku
BONG’MUSA Mthembu has cows to thank for his historic Comrades win last week. He became the first South African since Bruce Fordyce in 1987 to collect an up- and downrun double, and only the fourth black South African to win the up-run after Jetman Msutu (1992), Claude Moshiywa (2013) and Gift Kelehe (2015).
Showmanship is not something associated with the Comrades Marathon, which is why Mthembu was happy to let 2012 down-run champion Ludwick Mamabolo act as the prerace entertainment at last Sunday’s race.
The 33-year-old from Bulwer in the KwaZulu-Natal Midlands was better off letting his wiry but fortified legs make a mockery of the tar and the challenging undulations on his way to his second Comrades title.
“The thing with growing up in the rural areas is that you don’t have much of an option when it comes to careers and you need to do what’s in front of you. I worked in construction and running was only an afterthought when I started in 2005. The transition to running full time wasn’t easy and there were a lot of considerations.
“You also need to look at what the future holds and . . . I then decided this was going to be the path I was going to take,” Mthembu said.
“When you grow up in the kind of area that I come from, running is all you know and PRIDE: Bong’musa Mthembu embraces his son Sisanda, 12, after winning the Comrades that’s all you do. You pretty much run after everything. You run after the cows, the buck and almost everything that you can chase.
“That’s what I did before I started working as a bricklayer after matriculating and before the running bug bit me.”
Mthembu was the fifth of nine children. His father, a teacher, died in 1997. His mother has been able to witness her son’s success.
A top 10 finish was all Mthembu ever wanted.
“I never thought I would win the Comrades. I’ve always had a love for running because the only mission I had was to finish in the top 10. If I did any better, that was a bonus because at times I may not have been ready. But I knew that if I prepared well, anything was possible.
“Even now, I know I have to prepare harder and better . . . Despite South Africa’s forgettable past and how the laws controlled the participation of sports, the race was something I always followed — through its inclusiveness, it’s a race that is not only followed in South Africa but across the world.”
Being a father has also shaped Mthembu’s thinking of the race — and the necessity of a strong family support structure.
His 12-year-old son, Sisanda, was there to greet him when he ran into the Scottsville Racecourse, and gave his father a warm embrace.
“You’re nothing without family and there’s nothing that you can achieve without the help of your family.
“I put my family first; even at times when I’m training and I’m not always around my family, I make sure I spend enough time with them because I love them and they’re everything to me,” Mthembu said.
“My son was happy and I could see the joy in him when I arrived at the finish line.
“I know he is intelligent and I know he is approaching a stage where he needs to discern between what’s right and wrong, what to say, and when and how to say it.
“That is also something that I have learnt through winning the Comrades.”