Josia Thugwane (born 15 April 1971) is a South African long-distance runner, best known for winning the gold medal in the marathon at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Thugwane, who is of Ndebele heritage, is the first black athlete to earn an Olympic gold for South Africa. Born in Bethal, Thugwane ran his first marathon in 1991, but his breakthrough to the international athletics scene came in 1995, when he won the Honolulu Marathon. He was awarded the Silver Order of Ikhamanga, South Africa's second highest cultural honour, in 2011.