Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 121, August 2019 | Page 20

IN THE LEAD d l o G t s The La W 20 ith eight men over the line and just two more men’s gold medals still up for grabs, the TV cameras picked up two Entsika AC runners, Gordon Lesetedi and Siya Mqambeli, entering the Scottsville Race Course precinct. Both looked tired and neither appeared to be racing flat- out, but just behind them was a rapidly closing Maxed Elite athlete, Nkosikhona Mhlakwana. It soon became obvious that the newcomer was going to catch and pass the other two, and this was high drama, because one of the three was going to miss out narrowly on a gold medal, with the finish line almost in sight! The irony of the story is that Siya had mistakenly thought he was in ninth position before he was passed, and only found out how close he had come to losing his hard-earned gold medal when he reached the finish line. “I only realised what had happened when I looked back and saw that the Maxed Elite guy had not been given a rose, which meant I had the last one and was in 10th position. It was a big shock!” he says. But while most people naturally felt sorry for the man who just missed out on a gold, few realised the dramatic story behind 10th-placed Siya’s run to a gold medal, which fulfilled a goal he had set for himself in 2010. Nkosikhona duly swept past the two Entsika runners just before the notorious dipping tunnel under the race course, with neither Entsika runner able to respond, but as he climbed the steep tunnel exit, the Maxed Elite runner’s legs seized up. Hanging on to the fence, he was left stranded as the two Entsika runners reclaimed their former positions and rounded the final corner onto the home straight. With all of this being shown on the big screen at the finish, the crowd was going crazy, but all Nkosikhona could do was wait for the spasm to pass, then limp over the line. Gordon duly took ninth in 5:52:40, Siya was 10th in 5:52:51, and Nkosikhona had to settle for 11th, and the first Wally Hayward medal, in 5:53:22. (The ‘Wally’ is awarded to men who finish outside the top 10, but still within six hours – only seven were earned this year.) Running Talent ISSUE 121 AUGUST 2019 / www.modernathlete.co.za Originally hailing from the Eastern Cape, 37-year-old Siya currently lives in Centurion, Gauteng, and works in the Marketing Department at Entsika Consulting. In previous years he worked at Discovery Health in Johannesburg, and it is here, in 2010, that his running journey began, on a treadmill. In the build-up to the Comrades, the company set up treadmills for the staff to participate in a fun running challenge as part of the farewell festivities for staff members heading down to KZN for the race. Teams of 10 runners each ran about 9km to simulate the race distance, and soccer-player Siya suddenly realised that he had some running talent, as he comfortably cranked out his relay leg at the treadmill’s maximum speed. The 2019 Comrades Marathon was one of the most exciting races in years, dominated by the barnstorming wins by Edward Mothibi and Gerda Steyn. However, there was another dramatic finish that caught the eye, as Siya Mqambeli claimed the final men’s gold medal, and there is a remarkable story behind his achievement. – BY SEAN FALCONER