From being a double Comrades Marathon gold medalist, to taking podiums at countless road races, and setting record breaking feats on the trails, Prodigal Khumalo has shifted his focus from being a competitive runner to coaching. And he’s achieved numerous successes already guiding some of the Hollywood Athletics Club Purple Stars to greatness. Prodigal shares six things that you can do to make 2025 your best running year yet.
“If there is one thing that we really must remember, it is that running is all about you,” says Khumalo. “The work that you put in determines what the time on the clock will be at the end of a race and if you don’t put in the work, you won’t see the results.”
“It is important always to add variety and change in a program and the following six tips can help make your training more fun and help you achieve better results.”
Change your routes
Change routes often! Different routes mean different levels of elevation gain and loss, scenery and more. “With more variety in what you run in terms of routes; you’ll not only make yourself a stronger runner, but you also won’t get bored of repeating the same things.”
Change the scenery
Change your training locations occasionally. “Not everybody can be an elite and go and stay in a training camp in the mountains,” says Khumalo. ‘But places like Underberg if you are in Durban or Dullstroom if you are from Johannesburg are relatively nearby. Use long weekends as mini getaways to these locations for training, where you can do your long runs for on perfect gravel roads that will take less impact on your legs than pounding on the roads.”
Mix up your distances
Don’t keep doing the same distances week in and week out. “When you plan for your goal race, you plan by building a base, then increasing your mileage as it gets closer to race day and then three weeks out, you start reducing that mileage as your taper begins.”
Cross-train at least once a week
Do something other than running once a week to give your mind a break. “This can involve cycling, or even just walking or swimming. Cross-training has many great benefits and will make you a better runner.”
Set new goals… and crush them!
Set new racing goals and try different distances and surfaces. “Not only will this make you stronger all round but it will give you an opportunity to also perhaps find that you are in the wrong event. Whilst my focus was on ultra running, I also went to the trails and not only was it a lot of fun, but I found that with hardly any technical experience and know-how, I managed to win some very big trail races and beat some of the superstars. After that, I started to put a little bit more focus on the trail running and it made running exciting again.
Time trial regularly
Do a time trial once a month not more than 10km to check your progress. “An indicator of fitness is easily seen by doing a time trial,” says Khumalo. As you get fitter, you should get faster, and the results will speak for themselves. If you don’t get quicker as time goes on, then you need to relook at your training because something is wrong.
With these tips and knowledge at hand, you are well on your way to a great 2025 running season!
