Wisdom holds that one should first learn to walk before one can run.
And that is exactly what Umdloti gardener Aron Mahlangu did.
Starting out as a competitive walker, the 33-year-old athlete turned to long distance running only a year ago to chase a better life – and now boasts silver medals in his first two Comrades Marathon outings.
This standout achievement also earned him an additional special medal awarded to runners who compete their first two Comrades back-to-back.
Beaming with pride, Mahlangu sported a Cheshire Cat-like, ear-to-ear smile as he showed the Courier his three medals.
He earned his first silver in the 2023 down run in 7:08, followed by the second in this year’s up run in 6:58.
Shaving 10 minutes off his previous time, his happiness is justified.
Mahlangu’s base training consists of running to work every day from his home in Inanda 17km away, and back again in the evenings.
He had to overcome a raft of challenges just to get to the Comrades start line, largely owing to a lack of funding.
He cites his inability to afford proper food and nutritional products such as supplements for training, race day and post-race recovery as a major factor hamstringing his performance.
Fortunately a philanthropic group of residents at Bahia Village, the residential complex where he works, have taken him under their wing, making sure he has the support and coaching he needs to compete.
This year they also seconded him on race day to keep his energy levels up through to the finish line.
Mahlangu attributes a great deal of his success to the generous free coaching he receives from Claire and Francois Janse van Rensburg from Traverse Coaching.
As a walker specialising in the 50km distance, Mahlangu holds two KZN silver medals and has competed in the South African walking championships on several occasions.
After 13 years in that discipline he switched to running last year in the hope of attracting sponsorship to realise his dream of earning a decent living as an athlete to support his wife and four-year-old child.
That has not happened yet but the Pirates Road Running Club runner shows great promise and remains hopeful that the right people will notice him.
He wishes to focus on the 42km marathon and perhaps become an Olympian.
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