Mbuti Mollo – Comrades podium finish will change my family’s life

The Elite Running Club athlete produced one of the biggest shocks of this year’s race when he claimed third place in his debut Up Run from Durban to Pietermaritzburg on Sunday.

Remarkably, Mollo had not even planned to race competitively.

After failing to finish last year’s Down Run, where he dropped out at the 50km mark, he entered this year’s event mainly as a training run to test himself over the demanding course.

Instead, the 28-year-old Frankfort Namahale-born runner found himself standing on the podium after a fairy-tale performance.

Mollo pocketed R334,000 for finishing third and earned an additional R77,000 as the first KwaZulu-Natal runner across the finish line while representing a local club.

With other bonuses included, his earnings exceeded half a million rand. The emotional athlete says the prize money will make a huge difference at home, where both his parents are unemployed.

“There is a big gap at home. My parents are unemployed and I will help close that gap and support them where I can,” said Mollo.

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He revealed that his family now looks up to him and has reminded him to remain humble despite his sudden success.

Mollo has three siblings and is the only runner in the family. He first took up running in 2009, stepped away from the sport for several years, and returned in 2023 to pursue his talent seriously.

Reflecting on his breakthrough performance, Mollo admitted that even he was shocked by what he achieved.

“I just wanted to see how far I could push myself. Suddenly I found myself in the top three surrounded by TV cameras and people cheering. I was definitely surprised by my performance,” he told SABC Sport during the winners' breakfast on Monday.

Going into the race, he was not even certain that he would finish. However, his confidence grew as the kilometres passed.

“When I got to 50km, I told myself this could be my day. My plan was based on reaching 50km, but everything changed when I got to 60km. I felt strong and relaxed. Even the people at home were surprised,” he said.

One of the most remarkable aspects of Mollo’s success is that he does not have a coach.

Instead, he trains alongside fellow runners Simon Sibeko and Pule Sibeko, with the trio guiding and motivating one another.

“We have been training ourselves for a while using unity and discipline. We respect each other’s opinions and help each other improve,” he explained.