Humorous Anecdotes, Observations & Accounts of Marathon Running & Agile Adventures.
Documentation has emerged that the Central Gauteng Athletics president, Karabo Mabilo Thobakgale, was debarred from the Financial Sector Conduct Authority (FSCA) by ABSA Bank on 14 November 2022 as she “Does not comply with personal qualities of honesty and integrity”.
I get a lot of questions via email and direct message but this is one of the most interesting and deserved its own article:
“Dear Running Mann.
Thank you for your awesome blog. I know this is a weird question but I have been having this weird question, that may be a story for your blog. But if it is too trivial or insignificant for a reply or a blog I would understand.
I love to jog shirtless in Limpopo where I live. In my town, Mokopane, I think I am the only person in the afternoon after work to go out and jog under our lovely sun, especially during summer, shirtless, still have pants and shoes on, don’t worry.
Continue reading “Men: Get Your Mitties Out (Saying “No” to Noceanism)”
On 17 July Central Gauteng Athletics issued a statement indicating that Soweto Marathon prize winners could expect to receive partial payment of their prize money. The Daily Maverick reported that the source of the “limited funds” were from “the 2024 Soweto Marathon [that] are currently available and are being held by the Gauteng Sports Confederation (GSC).”
The CGA statement also stated, “Although the available funds are insufficient to settle the outstanding prize money in full, CGA has committed to facilitating the distribution of the available funds to affected athletes as soon as reasonably possible, while continuing its efforts to secure payment of the outstanding balance”
However, almost two months after that statement (and approaching a year after the race itself) no athlete has seen a cent of any prize money.
Great news for the running community is that popular East London runner, Mkhululi Jack, has been fully exonerated in his disciplinary hearing appeal decision. On the other hand, Border Athletics (BORA) were severely chastised and came in for scathing criticism from Selby Thabethe who chaired the Disciplinary Committee on behalf of Athletics South Africa (ASA).
The nine page document, which is available below, finds fault with every aspect of BORA’s approach, states that they acted in “bad faith”, broke almost every procedural and governance principal, were “defective” in every argument and action, made a critical constitutional breach, lacked substantial fairness and inferred that they had applied the “no earphones” rules incorrectly and inconsistently when compared with every other athletics province.
Continue reading “Mkhululi Jack is Back / BORA Bullies Blasted”
Executive Summary: AGN and CGA announced the cancellation of the 2026 City to City Marathon due to lack of sponsorship. However, Plus27 Events attempted to rescue the race by proposing to take on the full financial and operational risk, offering AGN and CGA either 20% of proceeds or a guaranteed R300,000 fee, plus their normal levies and broadcast rights.
Provincial officials delayed meetings, failed to respond timeously, arrived unprepared and eventually countered with an unrealistic demand for R600,000 plus 10% of sponsorship revenue on top of 20% of the proceeds. Two weeks later, AGN and CGA tried to accept Plus27’s original offer, but by this time it was too late to organise the 2026 race safely and professionally, leaving cancellation as the only viable outcome.
On 17 August, a joint statement from Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) and Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) announced that the City to City Ultra Marathon, Gauteng’s premier ultra, was cancelled for 2026. The official word from AGN and CGA was that this was due to a “lack of sponsorship”. However, I have received documentation that the real reason is the usual greed and incompetence from athletics administrators.
Continue reading “The Real Reason City to City was Cancelled: Greed & Incompetence”
This is a guest blog by Colin Bosch was keen to share his personal awareness message to the diabetes and endurance running community.
In 1980, at the age of 20, during compulsory national service in the South African Defence Force, I was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes (T1D). At the time, diabetes was explained in relatively simple terms:
inject insulin, avoid dangerous low blood sugar episodes, and manage daily life. The focus was survival and adaptation.
Continue reading “A 46-Year Journey Living With Type 1 Diabetes, Endurance Sport, Peripheral Artery Disease (PAD) and Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (DPN).”
Yurziq Meyer had been obese for most of his adult life. According to his social media accounts, Meyer started the year weighing 115kg and dropped almost 50kg in seven short months to currently tip the scales at 68kg.
He originally claimed that his radical weight loss is due to regular workouts, increasing daily step counts, running, cleaner eating, lifestyle changes and consistent adherence to his health goals. He also claims to have run the Two Oceans ultra and half marathons on consecutive days and followed this up with a very public Cape Town Marathon finish in May. He has the medals hanging on the walls at home to proudly show off his accomplishments.
But just like Yuzriq Meyer in January, this is all one big, fat lie. As unpleasant as it is to look at, it’s time that the naked truth about running’s biggest fraud is thoroughly examined. His running claims are a blatant litany of lies. These days he also freely admits to using retatrudtide and heavily markets these untested, unapproved drugs to his social media followers.
Continue reading “Yuzriq Meyer: Running’s Biggest Fraud?”
At an age when most are hunting around the house to find their reading glasses or trading recommendations for hip replacement surgeons with their peers, 64-year-old David Gamede is still running Comrades times that the rest of us would dream of. This year he strolled home in 7:11:19 to comfortably win the Grandmaster prize. This was Gamede’s 5th Silver medal from 7 attempts and he is the only person to have run 4 Silvers over the age of 60.
I was keen to have a chat with the man who only ran his first Comrades in 2018 at the age of 56 and hear his inspirational story.
Continue reading “The Bishop of Boksburg: David Gamede’s Special Comrades Record”
This article provides detailed information on all South Africa’s September 2026 marathons including race descriptions and recommendations. You can find the full 2026 marathon / ultra calendar here.
A summary of your choices is below:
In early May 2024, I got a message from Eric Venter saying, “Dear Running Mann – I was a category winner In the 60+ Two Oceans ultra. Besides the ‘No-Podium’, I have yet to hear from them regarding acknowledgement of my win or prize money – maybe it is something to look into…”
I had just exposed Two Oceans’ “Digimag Debacle” and explained that Two Oceans were giving me the silent treatment but passed the relevant contact information along and wished him well.
Eric mentioned “for interest’s sake” that his previous Two Oceans was almost forty years earlier in 1986. “Wow, that’s a long break between Oceans!” was my reply but it was his comment after that stuck with me, “I’m trying my best not to let the old man in.” Definitely a good mantra to live by!
Continue reading ““Don’t Let the Old Man In”: Eric Venter’s 40-Year Silver Lining”