Ludwick Mamabolo may come across as brash but when it comes to the Comrades Marathon‚ he’s the real deal.
He may not have followed up his 2012 down-run win with further successes but he provides the showmanship needed to make the race an even better spectacle.
Like his trainer Nick Bester‚ Mamabolo has had to watch the Tom-Tom Athletics club duo of David Gatebe and Gift Kelehe make a mockery of their efforts.
The Nedbank Running Club team that contains Mike Fokoroni‚ Claude Moshiywa and Mamabolo cannot be laughed at. All of them are Comrades Marathon gold medal winners and Moshiywa knows how to get the up-run business done.
Mamabolo goaded his competitors to be more vocal and brag about their chances of winning Sunday’s up-run.
“It’s up to you managers to teach your athletes‚” Mamabolo said.
“Can you athletes talk up here like I’m doing right now? No. Do you want the newspapers to run after them? It is our duty to tell the athletes to speak their mind.
“If we teach our athletes to present themselves‚ if the manger sits and talks and we as the athletes keep quiet‚ I’m not going to be very confident.”
“Stephen Muzhingi used to speak his mind and used to talk about how he trains. Now we just come here‚ the managers all talk and we keep quiet. It feels like a funeral.
“We must brag about how we’re looking forward to this race. That’s why we’re here and athletes are the ones who should be doing the talking. We are the brands and I’m the brand.”
Mamabolo also reminded defending champion Gift Kelehe that he will make up for his disappointing up-runs‚ and felt that he was better prepared for the it than at any given time in his career.
“I can see our defending champion Gift Kelehe is smiling and on Sunday I’ll be running and I’m here.
“Don’t worry. We will be fighting each other and I know I’ve learnt a lot from his coach John Hamlett. I know the preparations at the camp were out of my comfort zone but they have prepared me for this race‚” Mamabolo said.
Mamabolo talks the talk about how he’s going to run the run in Comrades
Ludwick Mamabolo may come across as brash but when it comes to the Comrades Marathon‚ he’s the real deal.
He may not have followed up his 2012 down-run win with further successes but he provides the showmanship needed to make the race an even better spectacle.
Like his trainer Nick Bester‚ Mamabolo has had to watch the Tom-Tom Athletics club duo of David Gatebe and Gift Kelehe make a mockery of their efforts.
The Nedbank Running Club team that contains Mike Fokoroni‚ Claude Moshiywa and Mamabolo cannot be laughed at. All of them are Comrades Marathon gold medal winners and Moshiywa knows how to get the up-run business done.
Mamabolo goaded his competitors to be more vocal and brag about their chances of winning Sunday’s up-run.
“It’s up to you managers to teach your athletes‚” Mamabolo said.
“Can you athletes talk up here like I’m doing right now? No. Do you want the newspapers to run after them? It is our duty to tell the athletes to speak their mind.
“If we teach our athletes to present themselves‚ if the manger sits and talks and we as the athletes keep quiet‚ I’m not going to be very confident.”
“Stephen Muzhingi used to speak his mind and used to talk about how he trains. Now we just come here‚ the managers all talk and we keep quiet. It feels like a funeral.
“We must brag about how we’re looking forward to this race. That’s why we’re here and athletes are the ones who should be doing the talking. We are the brands and I’m the brand.”
Mamabolo also reminded defending champion Gift Kelehe that he will make up for his disappointing up-runs‚ and felt that he was better prepared for the it than at any given time in his career.
“I can see our defending champion Gift Kelehe is smiling and on Sunday I’ll be running and I’m here.
“Don’t worry. We will be fighting each other and I know I’ve learnt a lot from his coach John Hamlett. I know the preparations at the camp were out of my comfort zone but they have prepared me for this race‚” Mamabolo said.