Mikolongwe clocks PB at Elands Marathon
He clocked 02:19:31 to better his previous PB of 02:35.
Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) top runner Bright Mikolongwe claimed a bronze medal after finishing the TracN4 Elands Marathon in third place on March 2.
Mikolongwe, who has run shorter distances for much of his career, clocked an impressive 02:19:31 to record his fastest time in the distance in a fast race that saw Kenyan Jackson Ole Koisenge cut the tape in 02:12:56. Philani Nkomo arrived 3:36 minutes later to grab the silver medal.
Running at around 3:18min/km, the Malawian, who recently started training with the Fordyce Fusion team, sliced almost 16 minutes off his marathon personal best of 2:35.
He said the race was tough but he enjoyed himself.
He credited this improvement to Bruce Fordyce’s Fordyce Fusion team, stating it means the programme his coaches put him on is working.
“I achieved the 2:35 without a coach. With a coach, I managed to take off almost 16 minutes off my PB,” he said.
The runner thanked a Lakefield resident who bought him a new pair of running shoes which he used to run in the Mpumalanga race.
“I want to thank Natalie. She saw me training and supported me with a pair of Nike Alphafly2% running shoes I used for this race. I also want to thank my boss for always supporting and encouraging me to never give up.”
He also thanked several members of the BNAC, including Ryan Smith, Michael Pappas and Stephanie Gormley for their constant support.
“Ryan is the one who saw my talent and encouraged me to join the BNAC and Michael always pays for my running license every year and helps me register for different races.
“Thank you to my training partners Digi Mashifane and Tembile Ntshongane, as well as Shane McGregor and coach Mark Dingle for helping with ideas and advice on how I should pace myself. Most importantly, I want to thank the BNAC,” he said.
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