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Renowned South African athletics coach Richard Mayer has hailed Kabelo Mulaudzi as a special athlete after he won four Absa Run Your City 10km titles in a row – a record unmatched since the series was launched in 2015.
Mulaudzi has also dominated cross-country, winning the national title three times in succession and booking his place at next year’s World Cross Country Championships in China.
Mayer, who coaches Mulaudzi free of charge, told SABC Sport that working with him is a joy, describing the star runner as easy to guide and highly disciplined.
"He's a really special athlete, I think I've helped him, given him the framework and an enabling environment in which to thrive, but a lot of it comes from him," said Mayer.
"He has now taken the lead in a lot of coaching because he knows his body, and he tells me, 'Coach, why don't we do this?' Because he knows what he needs.
"So I think the innovation this year was that he upped his mileage a little bit, he increased his morning runs, and its delivered results. It's all about consistency, discipline and just trying to stick with what works for your own body.
"You've got to learn, as an athlete, what worked for you and the kind of training intensities and volumes, and he really gets it right – he's in his sweet spot, and he's just an amazingly disciplined athlete with a great attention to detail and commitment to excellence.
"He phones me nearly everyday and we talk, and he just wants to make sure he gets the best out of himself – and full marks to him, he's a really exceptional athlete."
