Tag: mile

‹ Back

Registration for the Thembisa Mile and 10KM are Open!

Roxanne MartinEvent Update!Leave a Comment on Registration for the Thembisa Mile and 10KM are Open!

Registration for Thembisa’s premier road running event, the Thembisa Mile taking place on Sunday, 29 October 2023 is OPEN. The race comprises of a street Mile (1609m), and a 10km run for the masses. The race will start and finish at the Moses Molelekwa Arts Centre next to the Makhulong Stadium.

Entries are available online at www.thembisamile.co.za

Entries will close at midnight on Sunday, 22 October 2023, or when the maximum race capacity has been reached. The race is open to a total of 3000 participants, with 2500 entries available for the 10km road race and 500 for the 1 Mile Road Race.

The registration fee for the 10km is R150 for ASA-licensed athletes, while unlicensed athletes will pay an additional R60 for a temporary license. The registration fee for the 1 Mile Race is R50 for ASA-licensed athletes, with unlicensed athletes paying an additional R20 for a temporary license. The registration fee excludes the online service fee administered by the service provider.

Participants will be able to collect their race numbers at the Race Expo which will be held from 27 to 29 October at the race venue.

For the elite runners, the race offers a total prize purse of R100 000 (hundred thousand Rand). The men’s and women’s 10km winners will each take home R5000, while the invitational Mile winners will each take home R4000 each. SPAR Vouchers will be given to the top three boys and girls in the U-10, U- 13, and U – 15 age group categories for the 1 Mile Race.

All registered finishers will receive bronze medals, while category winners will earn gold medals.

Discovery Vitality members can earn 600 vitality points for completing the 10km race.

The race is run through the two main streets of Thembisa namely; RTJ Namane Drive and Andrew Mapheto Drive.

The race is made possible by the following sponsors and partners; SPAR North Rand, City of Ekurhuleni Sports and Recreation Division, Vision View TV, Lenmed Zamokuhle Private Hospital, The Thembisan, Move the Nation, Central Gauteng Athletics and Thembisa Athletics Club.

The race will be streamed live on the Vision View TV app.

Event Dairy details:
Date: Sunday, 29 October 2023
Time: 07h00
Enter online: www.thembisamile.co.za
Entry Fee (excluding online service fee): R10k = R150, 1 Mile = R50.
The temporary license fee is R60 for 10km and R20 for 1 Mile.
Late registration: R170 for 10km and R60 for 1 Mile.

Four Runners Break Sub 4 Minute Miles!

Roxanne MartinNewsLeave a Comment on Four Runners Break Sub 4 Minute Miles!

In celebration of Global Running Day which took place on 1 June,  Under Armour hosted the UA ALL OUT MILE grand finale event which saw hundreds of athletes including elite athletes, novice runners, top club runners, celebs, sports personalities and the general public going all out to take on the ‘1 Mile Run’ around the iconic Green Point Athletics Track.

For the 2nd consecutive year Under Armour hosted its popular Global UA ALL OUT MILE campaign, where runners from across the world have been lacing up and training to record their PB over the iconic 1 mile (1,6 km) distance. The campaign kicked off in May and concluded on Global Running day with  14 events hosted in key territories across the Globe with Cape Town playing host to the South African leg.

With an impressive exhibition of running on display, an unprecedented total of 4 elite athletes managed to break the sub-4 minute barrier with Justin  Kemboi from Kenya crossing the finish line with a time of 03:59.02  to take top prize as the winner in the Men’s Elite category.

20-year-old South African favourite Prudence Sekgodiso blistered through the field to secure bragging rights as the fastest in the Women’s Elite race with a time of 04:43.17. Other notable runners on the night included: Blitzbokke Captain Shakes Siviwe Soyizwapi, South African professional boxer and IBO cruiserweight champion Kevin Lerena as well as  Stormers outside centre Ruhan Nel.

The Mile, much like the 100 meters and the marathon is still widely considered one of the most iconic distances and the pinnacle of athletic excellence. The first sub-4-minute mile was smashed in 1954 by Roger Bannister. His time of 3:59.4 has since been broken by over 1600 athletes worldwide. Two unmatched records still stand today in the ladies’ and men’s categories. The men’s world record stands at 3:43.13, set by Hicham El Guerrouj of Morocco in 1999 while the women’s record sits at 4:12.33 held by Olympic sensation Sifan Hassan, set in July 2019.

However, the mile isn’t only for a  ‘pro’ or Olympic athlete, it’s the ideal fitness distance for runners looking to test their speed and endurance, regardless of age or ability. UA recognised the massive appeal that the distance holds and wanted to create a campaign that would challenge runners and encourage them to reach their best.

Commenting on a very successful event, Under Armour South Africa MD Darren Cooke says, “It has been amazing to see the ALL OUT MILE  campaign come to life, particularly here in SA. Those in attendance were treated to a superb display of running with many setting new PBs.  It has been an honour to host some of the top elite middle-distance runners and at the same time bringing the local running community together. Under Armour is dedicated to helping athletes, both pro and amateur, to continuously assess and improve their performance and this was definitely achieved with the ALL OUT MILE campaign.”

“One of the highlights of the evening was definitely the spectacular Elite men’s race, culminating in four world-class performances by 4 athletes running the mile in under 4 minutes. What an absolute privilege to bear witness to an incredible feat,” concludes Cooke.

Top 4 Male Elite Runners on the night:

  1. Justin  Kemboi – 03:59.02
  2. Matthew Kipsang – 03:59.02
  3. Ashley Smith – 03:59.86
  4. Christopher  Swart – 03:59.98