With many provinces hosting their provincial championships this past weekend and the final series of the Endurocad track league on Monday night, the Nedbank running club impressed with great performances.
In Limpopo, Nedbank running club athlete Given Makgoba won the 1500m provincial championships title in a time of 4:15. In Gauteng North, the Nedbank sprinting sensation duo of Marione Fourie and Tristan Dean were back in action.
Fourie had a great championship picking up two medals and also qualifying for the South African Championships. In the 100m hurdles, Fourie took gold in 13.80 and followed that up with a silver in the 100m, where she set a new personal best of 12.18. Dean won his first 100m heat, followed by a 5th place finish in the semi final in a time of 10.87, just missing out on advancing to the final.
The Central Gauteng championships had a good showing for the Nedbank running club Soweto development team, under coach Siyaya Khoza. In the 5000m Amy Chauke finished 5th in a time of 19:43 with Sergio Nxumalo taking gold in the u19 5000m finishing in 16:35. It was in the shorter events where the medal haul flew in.
Heinrich Jacobs took two bronze medals in the 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles respectively. Teammate Armand Vd Waldt picked up two silvers with 2nd place finishes in the 100m and 200m. Reatlegile Mosweu picked up a silver in the boys 3000m, running a quick 8:58. Dylan Pienaar took 3rd in the 1550m in a time of 4:05 with teammate Sandra Wijtenburg taking gold in the girls u19 1500m, running 4:47.
In Western Province, master’s athlete Rolandi Schutte continued some impressive form on the track. Schutte finished 3rd overall in the ladies 1500m, taking the masters (40+) title and qualifying for the South African Masters Championships.
It was a busy weekend in Port Elizabeth for Nedbank running club athletes Ntombesintu Mfunzi and Kelly Joanne van Vliet. Mfunzi started on Friday night, finishing 2nd in the Eastern Province Championships over 5000m in windswept conditions and the following morning was out in action again with teammate van Vliet in the Colchester 10km. van Vliet finished 2nd with Mfunzi 4th in 37:18.
All eyes were on Monday nights Endurocad track meeting which saw the last of the series for 2021 take place at the Coetzenberg stadium. Starting the evening off with the men’s 5000m B race, Nedbank running clubs Raydon Balie acted as pacemaker but continued for the entire 12 and a half laps to win in 15:07.
Attempting an Olympic Qualifying time (4:04.50) in the women’s 1500m was Nedbank running club Ethiopia’s Tadu Nare. A 69-minute half marathon runner, Nare was stepping down to work on her speed. After a quick first lap paced by teammate Kobie Griffths, Nare stayed in front the entire race taking victory in 4:13.71. Behind her, Schutte ran a new personal best of 4:56.21 achieving her goal of sub 5:00 and yet another new personal best.
“We did not get the time that we wanted but we are happy that there is small improvement in the results,” said Belay Hagos, coach of Nare. “With this new speed she has we will see a lot of improvement when she goes to the roads over 10km and half marathon.”
In the men’s 800m, Nedbank running club’s Duran Faro just got the better of Luan Munnik to take the smallest of victories, with his 1:48.23 victory, against Munnik’s 1:48.24. The men’s 5000m A race was fast and furious. Anthony Timoteus ran a new personal best of 13:49 to finish 6th with teammate Brucelynn Damons 9th in 14:07.
The 2nd leg of the Avanti Athletics South Africa series took place in rainy Johannesburg yesterday. 800m sensation Renier De Villiers continued his fine form to take victory in the men’s 800m, clocking a quick 1:46:.83 at altitude. Fourie was back in action after the AGN champs and took an impressive 2nd in the 100m hurdles, clocking 13.49.