one of nine fundraising champions for UP\u2019s Degrees Delivered campaign<\/a>, an initiative aimed at helping graduates clear historical student debt and access their degree certificates.<\/p>\n\u201cHaving been on this journey, I want to help other people facing similar challenges,\u201d Sithole said.<\/p>\n
His message to people facing financial difficulties comes from lived experience. \u201cHold on to your reasons why you are doing what you are doing. Pray about the challenges. Sometimes, when in doubt, prayer is the only thing that gets you through.\u201d<\/p>\n
Growing up, Sithole was a short-distance runner and often dreamed of one day taking part in the Comrades Marathon. At university, he was introduced to cross-country and longer road races.<\/p>\n
To think I\u2019m lining up this coming Sunday is such a dream come true moment. It\u2019s a testament to resilience, courage and determination<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u00a0Qiniso Sithole<\/p>\n
Encouragement from those around him eventually convinced him to enter. \u201cTo think I\u2019m lining up this coming Sunday is such a dream come true moment. It\u2019s a testament to resilience, courage and determination.\u201d<\/p>\n
He has experienced moments of doubt during training.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome runs felt heavy and difficult, a tired body and sometimes thoughts about injuries,\u201d he said. \u201cTraining meant early mornings, afternoon sessions and often running alone.\u201d<\/p>\n
His weekly routine includes time trials with Tuks Athletics (country club at the university), long runs, grass sessions and social runs, though most of his preparation was done solo.<\/p>\n
After completing his Master\u2019s degree, Sithole hopes to work in the industry, though he has not ruled out pursuing a PhD and becoming a lecturer.<\/p>\n
Health spokesperson has come a long way<\/p>\n
While Sithole is running to prove adversity can be overcome, recently appointed Gauteng health department spokesperson Steve Mabona will be chasing a different kind of victory. Mabona\u2019s fitness journey began after a health scare in 2009.<\/p>\n
He shared with TimesLIVE that he weighed 142kg and had a heart attack scare when the doctors told him his body mass index was not appropriate for his height. He said it was scary to hear his heart was surrounded by fat. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an eye-opener and God gave me a second chance because the doctor was surprised I survived. I had to also stop alcohol consumption, which I think was getting out of hand. I went straight to the gym.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mabona said he consumed alcohol six days a week, including beer, wine and gin. \u201cIt was excessive. I had to stop. Thank God I didn\u2019t have family back then. I was single and I didn\u2019t have to worry about a loved one.\u201d <\/p>\n
He began his weight loss journey in 2009. He was able to reduce his weight to 83kg within six months.<\/p>\n
Today he has maintained a healthy weight and his diet has fewer carbohydrates, less dairy and reduced alcohol consumption.<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/ZYKT5UFQCVCUFIX64EMEV4AAF4.jpg\")
Steve Mabona turned his life around after a heart attack scare when he weighed 142kg. (Supplied) <\/p>\n
\u201cChanging my lifestyle definitely changed my life. It was hard but I had to adapt. You become healthier, which makes things better in how you lead your life,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Mabona\u2019s Comrades journey began when a friend, Mike Matlala, recruited him to Zwakala Athletic Club in 2011 and encouraged him to tackle the race the nextg year.<\/p>\n
He later participated in many popular races. However, In June 2025 he picked up weight and was 98kg. This pushed him to participate in marathons that allowed him to shed weight.<\/p>\n
Between 2012 and 2026, he has finished events from short races to half-marathons and ultras. He\u2019s completed well-known events including Loskop, Om die Dam and the Two Oceans marathon. <\/p>\n
After failing to finish last year\u2019s Comrades, he believes this year\u2019s preparation has put him in a stronger position.<\/p>\n
Balancing training with a demanding job requires discipline. My work is hectic with a lot of pressure. You need discipline, commitment and dedication to do this<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u00a0Steve Mabona <\/p>\n
He is focusing on strength and cross-training, including cycling. He trains four days a week, rests on Fridays, and does long runs on Saturdays, covering more than 50km weekly.<\/p>\n
\u201cBalancing training with a demanding job requires discipline. My work is hectic with a lot of pressure. You need discipline, commitment and dedication to do this,\u201d said Mabona.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou must run in your training, whether it is short, long, speed or intervals,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m currently at 83kg and I am convinced I will finish better.\u201d<\/p>\n
He\u2019s finding motivation from his professional life, saying: \u201cAs a health department spokesperson, I must be healthy to promote it.\u201d <\/p>\n
He advised South Africans who are going through a weight loss journey to take their health seriously. \u201cWe need to be healthy. Let us do something \u2014 walk, run, anything active \u2014 and watch what we consume.\u201d<\/p>\n
Test of faith and endurance for mom of three<\/p>\n
For Belinda Mhlongo, who is deputy head in the office of the Speaker at eThekwini municipality and a woman\u2019s leader at her church, the marathon is as much a test of faith as it is of endurance.<\/p>\n
The mother of three from Umlazi recalled the moment during last year\u2019s race when she thought her dream was over.<\/p>\n
At around the 70km mark, running with her friend and training partner Silo Mhlongo, every part of their bodies hurt and the official 12-hour cut-off bus was closing in behind them. \u201cI asked Silo to go and leave me. I was finished physically and mentally.\u201d But they both pushed through to complete the race.<\/p>\n
Mhlongo is eager to participate in her second Comrades. <\/p>\n
She is inspired by the adrenaline she felt, and \u201cthe sense of accomplishment I experienced at the finish line\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still amazed at the power of the mind over body.\u201d<\/p>\n
![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/KMNUOJHT2BCTVHNIJVNDWG6MZA.jpg\")
‘When crossing the finish line, I know exactly who I will be thinking of. My late husband, who was my first cheerleader. I know he would have really been proud of my achievement,’ says Belinda Mhlongo. (Supplied) <\/p>\n
Mhlongo said this year\u2019s preparation has been different because she knows what to expect.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis year is an \u2018up run\u2019, which requires extra strength training and very strong muscles such as gluts, hamstrings and calves,\u201d she said. \u201cTraining has been more structured, with greater attention to nutrition, recovery and supplements such as magnesium and electrolytes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Her church recently held a special event for Comrades runners, with friends and congregants sending messages of encouragement and scripture.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe support is so humbling. I know as we run on Sunday, they\u2019ll be carrying us through prayer.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen crossing the finish line, I know exactly who I will be thinking of. My late husband, who was my first cheerleader. I know he would have really been proud of my achievement,\u201d she said. \u201cMy husband suffered from severe back pain so when I ran he would cycle.\u201d<\/p>\n
No-one ever wakes up and they\u2019re already a marathoner. Everyone starts somewhere<\/p>\n
\u2014 \u00a0Belinda Mhlongo<\/p>\n
Mhlongo\u2019s husband died in 2021 from Covid-19 complications. \u201cIt was a hard pill to swallow but you learn to live with the pain and soldier on,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
She shared that the loss of losing a loved one instantly makes you lose your identity. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s crazy how things change. You go from being a wife and mother to being a widow and both a mother and a father. The people you associated yourself with when you were a wife change. You go back to finding your single friends to belong,\u201d said Mhlongo.<\/p>\n
She said running has transformed her life in a positive way.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt has made me more resilient, stronger, given me purpose, taught me to appreciate the gift of life and brought back my self-confidence.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo-one ever wakes up and they\u2019re already a marathoner. Everyone starts somewhere.\u201d<\/p>\n
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![](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/IZRAGJO4EJBODLU7BDLTR4PRBQ.jpg\")
For University of Pretoria Master\u2019s student Qiniso Sithole, Sunday\u2019s Comrades Marathon is about more than conquering nearly 90km between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. (Supplied) <\/p>\n