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Well-known marathon runner Fhatuwani Mudau poses for a picture next to his business premises at Khubvi village. Photo: Victor Mukwevho.
Sport Date: 08 June 2024
Well-known local marathon runner Fhatuwani Mudau believes he has done enough to prepare for this year’s Comrades Ultra-marathon. The runner from Khubvi village is determined not to rest on his laurels after receiving his green number (for 10 finishes) but to work towards getting a second green number.
Thousands of runners from around the world are expected to visit KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, 9 June, to participate in the world’s most renowned ultra-marathon. This year’s Comrades Marathon is an uprun, starting at the Moses Mabhida Stadium in Durban and ending in Pietermaritzburg.
When asked about his main objective for this year’s marathon, Mudau said he was determined to start another journey towards earning his second green number. “I received my green number after running the Comrades Marathon 10 times in a row, and I am going to work very hard and run this race for the next 10 years to get my second green number,” he said.
Mudau is a daily sight when practising along the Thohoyandou road leading towards Tshilamba. When Limpopo Mirror visited him at his business premises in the village on Sunday morning, he was looking very fit and well-prepared to tackle the gruelling 90 km race.
“I started training for this year’s marathon in November last year. I have already covered more than 2,039 kilometres since I began preparing, and I feel I am now ready to participate in the Comrades Marathon,” he said.
He added that he would like to thank his wife, Fulufhelo Mudau, for supporting him throughout his years of participating in road running. “She has been a pillar of strength in everything I do in life, and I would like to thank God for giving me such a beautiful and supportive wife,” he said.
Mudau was born in Soshanguve, Pretoria, but relocated to Khubvi village when he was 16 years old. During his school days at Silemale Secondary School, he participated in the 100- and 200-metre races. He was nicknamed “Carl Lewis” as people compared him to the legendary American sprinter. Later, he tried his luck at marathons and was eventually recruited by the Maize Meal Phosphate Club, based in Phalaborwa, where he stayed for five years.
Victor Mukwevho Ne-vumbani joined the Mirror during it's inception in 1990. He joined the SABC newsroom in 1995, and was known by listeners as "A u fhedzisela ari". He was a news editor for The Tembisan Newspaper from 2007 to 2015. He rejoined the Limpopo Mirror newspaper in June 2022 as a freelance journalist.
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