It was sports day at Copeville Primary School in Howick, KZN. Pupils were preparing for the sprints on the track as the only distance event, a 4km fun run reserved for the Grade 7’s got underway.
At the gun, a small boy was seen moving up from the back of the field. Surely he was underage for the event? Still in Grade 4, somehow Nkosikhona Mhlakana had found himself lining up for the distance run. But instead of dropping from exhaustion at halfway, the youngster defied all odds by racing to victory!
“I was named the winner, and I was applauded at the school assembly,” Mhlakwana recalls. “From that time all eyes were on me. My mom became my biggest supporter, and she told my brothers, Mpikeleli and Bantu, to carry my school bag so I could run to school every day!”
“That’s how my love for running developed and I never looked back. I dabbled in soccer for a few years, but that did nothing for me. With running, everything was possible.”
Fast forward twenty years, and ‘The Pitbull’, as Mhlakwana is fondly known (“once I grab something, I never let go”), is set for his third tilt at the Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon title on Saturday (5 April). He’s come close in his two attempts at the 56km race in 2022 and 2023, but the top step on the podium has eluded him to date.
“Yes, I’ve placed second and third at Two Oceans. So it looks like the only spot on the podium that is left is number one!” Mhlakwana joked.
“2022 was my best year at Two Oceans and Comrade, where I won gold medals at both races. I’m very proud of the way I ran Oceans, the skills and the tactics that I used on that day. This year there’s nothing much that I will change but I think I’m now a better version of myself. I’ve worked to discover new skills and tactics.”
Mhlakwana ran a near-perfect race in his Oceans debut in 2022, only connecting with the lead pack after halfway. He made all the right moves on Chapman’s Peak and Constantia Nek before going head-to-head with 2:08 marathoner, Ethiopian Edndale Belachew, losing out by the narrowest of margins in the closest finish in Two Oceans’ history.
A year later, while he struggled in the earlier stages, Mhlakwana was back in the mix at the business end, flying through the field in the latter stages to finish a close third behind winner Givemore Mudzinganyama and Dan Matshailwe.
Mhlakwana skipped Oceans last year to focus on Comrades and while he missed out on a top ten finish, he was pleased to improve his time from his 5 hr 53 min in 2019 to 5 hr 45.
Mhlakwana is aiming for shorter and faster in 2025 and will not compete at Comrades. “My main focus is Two Oceans and after that I’m stepping down in distance to focus on 10km, 21km and 42km,” Mhlakwana explained.
“I still wish to improve my 2hr 16 min marathon PB and if I can take off a few minutes, I’ll be well placed to challenge for better positions at Comrades in a few years’ time.”
Mhlakwana has already reaped rewards from his ‘back to basics’ programme, having improved his 10km from a modest 30:04 to an impressive 28:58, which he clocked at the Hollywood Bets 10km in Durban last September.
“I know many people want me to win the (Two Oceans) race, which is something that I wish for myself! But I must be realistic and recognise the strength of the field. So my goal is simply to finish in the top ten. Come the race day, anything can happen beyond that goal and if it happens, I will take my chance to achieve my best result.”
Unlike many leading athletes who frequently change clubs and coaches, Mhlakwana has placed his trust in his club, Hollywood, and his coach, Comrades gold medallist Prodigal Khumalo. “We have been together for over ten years now – he is my mentor, my coach, my teacher,” Mhakwana acknowledges. “He is a father and a brother to me and a person I fully believe in.”
Mhlakwana stays close to his roots, drawing strength and support from family and friends. Howick born and educated, he still resides in Howick, only travelling to Durban ‘for some special session at the gym with my physical trainer Mr. Craig George and other specialists’.
“I still do much of my training off-road and there are many trails in and around Howick. I believe in running on softer surfaces to prevent injuries and to recover more easily from hard sessions,” Mhlakwana explains, benefitting from his ability and experience in all forms of athletics’ disciplines, including track, cross-country, trail and road.
What sets Mhlakwana apart from many top distance athletes, is his sense of a bigger picture in his life, both acknowledging the support from his family, his supporters and sponsors, and his own role and destiny in passing on the baton to younger athletes.
“My family are my strongest supporters,” he acknowledges. “My wife Sthembile Radebe, my mother Agnes Mhlakwana and my son, Sthembinkosi and also my four siblings. They are much of the reason for anything I do in athletics.
“I have full support from my club, Hollywood Athletics, Sipho projects, Edemed Pharmacy, 32GI, Myles Clouston, Puma, EADP programme (KZN) and my physiotherapist Shamim Khan. Through their support and that of my family, friends and teammates, I’m better able to understand myself without stressing over any challenges.”
Mhlakwana is a fully qualified teacher, with a Bachelor of Education degree and Honours degree in Leadership, Management and Policy from the University of KwaZulu Natal. But his vision of his future lies beyond the classroom.
“I was inspired by Caster Semenya’s success as an athlete (hence the second of his three nicknames, Caster) and I hope that I will be able to inspire those young kids wanting to change their lives through sports.
“With our God-given talent we can move mountains. I’m busy achieving what God has placed on my life and my vision is to go into the rural areas and townships of KZN to identify youngsters with God-given talent and teach them how to make the most of it.
“I’d like to change the jobless narrative,” Mhlakwana continues. “I hope to inspire young people to use their talent but also teach them the importance of education. Even though jobs are scarce in South Africa, through sports you can make a living.”
Mhlakwana has already taken the first steps to fulfilling his dream. “I have a company named The People’s Training Academy. The aim of this company is to uplift young stars who are talented and teach them how to manage their money, look after their talent and, importantly, how to behave in and out of sports.”
Mhlakwana has recently been given a new nickname, Kasongo, meaning someone who is foolishly stubborn or a troublemaker. Although given in jest, his rivals in this year’s Two Oceans Ultra-marathon may well come to experience the truth of that moniker on Saturday.
