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Munyai keeps eyes on the prize as he targets third Olympics

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on Munyai keeps eyes on the prize as he targets third Olympics

By Karien Jonckheere

Clarence Munyai may not have the Olympic qualifying time for the 200m in the bag just yet, but he’s confident it will come.

The former national champion ran 20.91 seconds for fourth place at the second ASA Grand Prix meet in Pretoria this week, some way off the 20.16 required, but the season has just started. And with 50 per cent of athletes qualifying for Paris through world rankings, Munyai finds himself safely within that quota for now.

“Yes, I still have to get the qualifying time, but I’m confident I’ll get it,” reckoned Munyai.

“One thing about sport that I like is you always have the next week, like you have a competition this week, then you have a competition next week. So obviously some competitions you do well, some you don’t do too well, and obviously as an athlete you learn how to pick yourself up and go to the next one,” he added.

It’s hard to believe that at just 26 years old, Munyai is gunning for his third Olympic Games, having burst onto the scene as a teenager and setting the current SA 200m record of 19.68 seconds when he had just turned 20.

For the past three years, he’s trained alongside SA 100m record holder Akani Simbine, under the watchful eye of coach Werner Prinsloo.

“He’s a really nice training partner,” Munyai said of Simbine.

“I learned a lot from him. I have my strengths, and he has his strengths, we kind of rub off on each other, and it’s nice to run with someone like him because you push each other in sessions.

“At the end of the day, that one big goal that we’re all working towards, I feel like as an athlete you need someone that has that motivation as well. I feel like it’s really good and it pushes both of us.”

Being confident in his training, Munyai can look ahead to what he would like to achieve in Paris later this year. He reached the semifinal of the 200m at the last Olympics in Tokyo but is now ready for the next step.

“Making the final, and obviously in the final anything can happen because we’ll have eight lanes and then everyone has the same opportunity. So it’s about putting the race together and executing, then everything should go to plan,” he said.

With several months to go before then, however, he pointed out: “Everything’s on track. I feel really strong, I feel fast in training, and obviously now it’s just about putting it together in a race, so that’s what I’m looking forward to. I just want to race and am looking forward to all the races now.”

GENERAL ENTRIES OPEN FOR THE ICONIC RHODES RUN

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on GENERAL ENTRIES OPEN FOR THE ICONIC RHODES RUN

GENERAL ENTRIES OPEN FOR THE ICONIC RHODES RUN ON 29 JUNE 2024

For the first time in the race’s long history, general entries have opened for the 34th Rhodes Run taking place on Saturday, 29 June 2024. The challenging route follows roads and paths high above the historic village of Rhodes situated in the southern Drakensburg mountains of the Eastern Cape. Friday, 17 May, is the closing date for entries in this iconic trail run.

For more than three decades, entry to the Rhodes Run was strictly by invitation only. This year will see a new approach to the Rhodes Trail Run entry process. In an effort to make the Rhodes Run accessible to a broader community, a three tranche process has been instituted for the 2024 event by Rudi Hiestermann and Heather Ralph who have taken over the reins of organising the Rhodes Run from the Raubenheimers who coordinated the event for 26 years.

A first call for entries was issued to runners who received an invitation in 2023. The field was widened during phase two with invitations being sent to runners on the waiting list as at 08 July 2023. The organisers have now opened entries to any interested trail runner for the 2024 event before the closing date of 17 May 2024. The race has a limited field of 300 runners. Half the race numbers have already been filled.

Heather Ralph, the organiser of the Rhodes Run explains; “Since assuming responsibility for this incredibly special event in 2023, we want to open the opportunity for participation to all trail running enthusiasts who want to explore the exceptional beautiful scenery of the majestic Drakensberg mountains.”

“Stepping in the very large shoes left by the Raubenheimers who forged the legacy of the Rhodes Run is daunting. However, as the popularity of trail runs especially in the unspoilt areas of our country has increased exponentially, we are wanting to attract more people to the Rhodes Run and the attractions of the area by opening the entries to any interested participant. The revised entry process adopted for 2024 has already received a positive response.”

The 52km route starts and ends in the village of Rhodes. Commencing at an altitude of 1800m, the route reaches its highest point at 2680m and has an average “on top” of 2560m. The cumulative climb is approximately 1600m. Depending on the prevailing weather conditions, the trail run ascends on gravel roads then meanders along stock paths and trails through farms along the Lesotho border to just below Ben MacDhui (the second highest peak in the Eastern Cape at 3001m), before descending along the road that accessed the now closed ski resort, Tiffendell.

The idea of the race was conceived during a discussion between Rhodes property owners over a couple of drinks in 1986. The intention was to put Rhodes back on the map before it followed the same fate as other small platteland villages which faded into obscurity. This vision led to the birth of a unique event on the South African sports calendar. The first event was staged in July 1989, and was almost called off due to very heavy snow falls during the night before the event.

If the terrain does not provide enough challenge for those brave enough to tackle the Rhodes Run, the inclement weather in the Eastern Cape Highlands adds another dimension to the race experience. It is common for the temperature at the start to be below zero (usually around -10 degrees Celsius!). However, the warm hospitality of the Rhodes community and the festive atmosphere created by the participants and their families more than compensates for the cold tough conditions of the Rhodes Run.

As organisers residing permanently in Rhodes, Heather and Rudi are passionate about involving the local community in all aspects of the Rhodes Run from catering, arranging activities, hosting to crafting the components of the  goodie bags. Heather stresses, “With the support and participation of the community, we are striving to create an experience for runners and their families that is cherished in their memories and brings them back year after year.”

Testament to this is the number of repeat participants with 1177 people having completed the Rhodes Run more than three times, nine have more than 20 races under the belt with two hold the reverted Gold Race numbers of more than 30 events.

In the true spirit of trail running there are no financial prizes, other than a few floating trophies.   All the runners are treated equally with the same pre and postrace hand-outs that are sourced from craft projects in the local community.

Surrounded by magnificent mountains and pristine rivers, the Rhodes village dating back to the Victorian-era was declared a conservation area in 1997. Participants and their families can soak up the tranquil village ambience which is a fantastic weekend getaway.  The organisers have many activities planned for the weekend to keep the supporters occupied during the race.

More information is available on www.rhodesrun.co.za and race organiser, Heather Ralph, can be contacted on heather@rhodesrun.co.za

https://www.rhodesrun.co.za/enter-now/

Tebogo, Haingura and Sekgodiso light up the track at second ASA Grand Prix

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on Tebogo, Haingura and Sekgodiso light up the track at second ASA Grand Prix

By Karien Jonckheere

Botswana’s athletes stole the show at the second ASA Grand Prix meet of the season in Pretoria on Monday night.

Better known for his exploits over 100 and 200m, having medalled in both events at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest last year, Letsile Tebogo looked right at home in the 400m. The 20-year-old stormed to a comfortable victory in a new personal best of 44.29 seconds, so also securing Olympic qualification in the event.

Tebogo gave a hint of what he could do in the longer distance when he set a new world best of 30.69 seconds over 300m at the Simbine Curro Classic Shootout in Pretoria last month.

With his sights set firmly on the podium at Paris 2024, Tebogo told SuperSport: “No human is limited so you have to do everything that it takes.

“For us coming here it was just to check how the body was going to respond because we’ve been doing a lot of gym so you can see how the body runs and if I will get tired along the way.

As for what comes next, the world junior record holder over 100m added: “The plan for now, I think we’re going to rest for a week or two because it shows that the speed is there… the other plan for the Diamond Leagues is just to run and get used to them so that we cannot be scared when we meet in Paris at the Olympics.”

Earlier in the evening, Tebogo’s compatriot, Hethobogile Haingura claimed an Olympic qualifying time of his own in the men’s 800m.

A man on a mission to get to Paris, Haingura took to the front immediately and completed the two-lap event in 1:43.94, well under the required time, and also slicing a second and a half off his PB in the process.

The man from Botswana probably didn’t realise it at the time, but he had run the fastest ever 800m time on South African soil. The previous mark of 1:44.57 set back in 1996 in Cape Town belonged to Marius van Heerden, who sadly died of Covid in January 2021.

As Haingura collapsed to the track after his race, he was embraced by his elated training partner, Prudence Sekgodiso, who also produced an impressive performance in the women’s 800m on Monday night, dipping under the two-minute mark once again to take the win in 1:59.93. The 22-year-old South African set a new personal best of 1 minute 58.05 over 800m just a few weeks ago in Pretoria to also book her ticket to Paris.

Road To Redemption: Simbine sets sights on Paris

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on Road To Redemption: Simbine sets sights on Paris

By Karien Jonckheere

After shaking off a disappointing end to last season, which had started so promisingly but ended with a false start in the 100m semifinal and a dropped baton at the World Athletics Championships, Akani Simbine is only looking forward.

Forward to next month’s National Championships and then on to the Olympic Games in Paris. He’s now a married man, feeling settled and revved up for the season ahead.

“I’m feeling good, it’s been a good start to the year, a good start to the season. I’m healthy, training is going really well, I had my first off-season race with the 150 which went well, and everything is just going according to plan right now,” he explained, referring to the new SA record he set in the rarely run 150m at the Simbine Curro Classic Shootout in Pretoria last month.

“That was very important because I think coming from my last race, which was the DQ at world champs, it was a confidence booster and also getting that tick in your mind saying that OK, you know what, I can still do this, I’ve still got that competitive edge, I’m still hungry to compete,” added the 30-year-old.

“We’re building up to SAs now, making sure that I run well there, retain my title there, and get on to the rest of the year. I’m looking forward to it, confident for the season, confident for the year.”

Simbine has described the Olympic year ahead as one in which he and his coach Werner Prinsloo are taking care of unfinished business.

“Paris is a race and a place where I’m looking forward to running. For Coach and I it’s also kind of like a redemption road where we had everything ticked off last year and the false start happened. So now this year it’s about coming back and just keeping on working and doing everything that we need to do to make sure we’re ready to race.

“It’s just another race at the end of the day… It’s just the title that changes and I need to get that in my head and to accept that and enjoy it and give my all,” added the two-time Olympic finalist who has earned a reputation as one of the gentlemen of the sport.

Perhaps what keeps him so grounded is his mission to give back through his company Back Sports, which aims to provide a platform for younger athletes to excel – not only in the sport itself by broadcasting their exploits but also by getting them involved behind the scenes in the TV production.

“We’re giving the students an opportunity to learn production, to learn how to shoot, how to do media and just giving them that skill… So we pay them a salary, and then you’re allowed to go train, go to championships.

“For us it’s literally empowering them in those ways, just changing lives, and just making a small impact where we can. We’ve been blessed with an opportunity with Supersport schools to spread our wings and shoot the sporting events and empower more kids and have more reach. I think we have teams all over the country and that’s close to 100 kids that we are changing lives for, that’s 100 families that we’re changing lives for and impacting. And for me, if we’re doing that, I’m happy.”

Training ON SA Vibes

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on Training ON SA Vibes

South Africa has been a favourite winter training destination for European athletes for many years. What that means is that they head to sunny SA in their European winter months – our summer – for training in our great weather conditions, when running outdoors back home is likely to be washed out by snow, rain, wind and freezing conditions. Two of these athletes are George Mills of Great Britain and Tom Elmer of Switzerland, who are also part of the ON Athletic Club (OAC), sponsored by ON apparel and shoes. Both have been coming to SA for a number of years, and we caught up with them in between double training session days for a chat about their experience in and thoughts on SA. – By Sean Falconer 

And the Winners Are…

Tanika LaskeyFeatures, NewsLeave a Comment on And the Winners Are…

In our February edition, we announced that for the first time since it was launched in 2009, Modern Athlete magazine is presenting a comprehensive annual Modern Athlete of the Year Awards, to recognise as many deserving South African athletes as we can, for their performances in 2023, across all the disciplines of athletics and running that we cover in this mag. And here, after putting out heads together and discussing, comparing, tabulating and debating, are our winners for 2023! – By Manfred Seidler, Stephen Granger, Altus Schreuder & Sean Falconer