The touchline general traded tactical kicks for pounding pavements on Sunday as Mzwandile Stick completed his maiden marathon at the 2026 Sanlam Cape Town Marathon in a gritty display of endurance and willpower.
The double Rugby World Cup-winning Springbok assistant coach crossed the finish line in Green Point in an impressive 4:41:43 after tackling the unforgiving 42.2km route through the Mother City.
Running under the race profile name “Mzwandile Stick BOKKE” with race number 13421, the former Blitzbok captain discovered that marathon running can chew through confidence quicker than a hungry prop demolishing a post-match buffet.
“My first full Marathon, what a crazy experience and challenge,” Stick posted on social media.
“No one said it was going to be easy. I had to negotiate with my legs cramping at 37km and 39km, but the preparation and mind were strong enough to take me through to the finish.
“Well done to all the organizers and everyone involved in the Cape Town Marathon. I would also like to thank the people on the streets of Cape Town cheering and giving us the support and energy. I will surely be back to do it again.”
For a man who helped guide the Springboks to World Cup glory in Japan in 2019 and France in 2023, Sunday’s race became another battlefield.
This time there were no contestable high balls, roaring scrums or tactical substitutions, only aching legs, Cape Town’s winter breeze and the silent argument between body and mind that every marathon runner knows too well.
The significance of the 41-year-old Eastern Cape-born coach’s achievement stretches far beyond the stopwatch. Stick had shed a remarkable 22kg during his preparation after he had drifted far from his playing shape since retiring from professional rugby.
Back in his playing days, “Stokke” captained South Africa’s sevens side to its historic 2008/09 IRB Sevens World Series triumph. On Sunday, the crafty playmaker of old was replaced by a marathon grinder dragging determination kilometre after kilometre through the city streets.
Springbok captain Siya Kolisi, who attended the event as a guest of adidas [the official apparel partner of the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon], praised his mentor’s remarkable transformation as well as his milestone accomplishment.
Kolisi and coach Stick are both signed to Roc Nation Sports International (RNSI). While Kolisi was one of the earliest global rugby icons to join the powerhouse agency following the 2019 Rugby World Cup, Stick made history by signing as the first South African coach to join the Roc Nation Sports stable
“Coach Stick is an inspiration. He has worked extremely hard to prepare for this race. He trains every day has shed a whopping 22kg’s in the process. That in itself is already an awesome achievement and speaks volumes of his discipline and dedication,” said Kolisi.
For Stick, the finish line in Green Point was more than a medal moment. It was proof that even rugby warriors can survive the marathon’s slow-motion ambush.
