Category: News

Records are meant to be broken and the older the record, the more reason to break it. This is why Carina Horn, former national champion, is back in the country from Austria to compete in the South African Athletics Championships in Stellenbosch (17-18 April) for the first time in three years.

Horn, an athlete from Tuks Athletics, has her sights firmly set on Evette de Klerk’s South African 100m record (11.06s), one of the oldest records in South African athletics. De Klerk’s record breaking-performance took place on 20 April 1990 in Germiston. Since then only Geraldine Pillay came close to improving on it when she ran 11.07s in 2005 in Durban.

During the past few seasons South Africa’s female sprinters have run ‘pedestrian’ times compared to what was happening in international athletics. However, Horn started what will hopefully be the revival of South African women’s sprinting last year when she ran times of 11.21s, 11.17s and 11.16s in European meetings. This means that she is currently the fourth fastest ever local sprinter.
When competing in European indoor meetings this season, Horn has shown that she is in good form. Of the five races in which she competed she won two and finished second twice. There was only one little mishap to which her brother refers as her ‘super glue’ race because it seemed to him as if she got stuck in her starting blocks.

More important is that Horn has twice improved her own SA 60m record by running times of 7.21s in Dusseldorf and 7.20s in Berlin. Horn is quick to point out that there is no guarantee that she will be able to improve on De Klerk’s 11.06s record. “If the weather plays along I will certainly come close to doing so, but the weather in Stellenbosch can be very unpredictable. However, if the conditions are perfect during the heats I will certainly attempt to go for the record.”

When Horn left South Africa to train in Linz under the guidance of Rainer Schopf, her best time in the 100m was 11.59s. She has since improved by 0.43s. “The reason for this improvement is that, for the first time, I am being coached to focus on the right things. Rainer keeps emphasizing that the 100m is a very technical race and he has me working on small technical details for hours on end to help me to become faster.

“For example, we will spend an entire training day on just my first step out of the starting blocks. Rainer is not a believer in more is better. While training for the indoor season I never ran farther than 60 metres and now, in the build-up to SA’s, I don’t think I will run farther than 80 metres.
“I think our decision that I will run only the 100m sprint, will also make a difference. Training for the 200 metres is something totally different.”

Horn’s dedication to becoming South Africa’s fastest woman can perhaps be best explained by the following quote from Arnold Schwarzenegger: “The worst thing I can be is the same as everybody else. I hate that.” According to Horn, who is a big fan of Schwarzenegger, she does not want to be remembered as just another talented sprinter when she could be remembered as South Africa’s best sprinter.

By breaking one of South Africa’s oldest athletic records at an Athletics Gauteng Meeting at Tuks on Saturday, Lebogang Shange proved that he is a man of his word.

Shange won the 3000m walk in a time of 11 minutes and 20.39 seconds, nearly seven seconds faster than the previous record of 11:27.20 that was set by Chris Britz in 1989.

As early as January the High Performance Centre (hpc) athlete confidently told anybody who was prepared to listen that he was going to break the South African records held by his coach, Chris Britz, and he reiterated on Friday afternoon that the 3000m record was going to be his.

“It is amazing that I was able to do what I had set out to achieve. This is hopefully the first of many records. I intend to go for the 5000m walk record next year.  The year after that I will try to break the record in the 10 000m, followed by the 20 000m record. The secret of being constantly successful is to try not to be too greedy. That is why I will focus on one goal at a time. I am planning to be a competitive walker for a long time to come. If my body holds up I will only retire at 42,” the 25-year-old said.

Shange will leave for Switzerland tomorrow where he will compete in the 20km walk on Sunday.

LJ van Zyl (Tuks and hpc) was the other athlete who had reason to smile on Saturday. He won the 400-hurdles in a time of 49.42s, which means that he has qualified for the World Championships in Beijing. Wouter le Roux was second in 49.87s.

“My winning time is not a true reflection of what I am capable of at the moment. I purposely did not run flat out.  If I did I would probably have run a time faster than 49s.  It was the first time this season that I competed in a 400-hurdles race and it was the confidence booster I needed.  It is my fastest season opener in four years for the 400-hurdles.”

Van Zyl will compete in the 400-hurdles again on 19 March in Sasolburg and he hopes to go faster than 49 seconds then.

Akani Simbine (Tuks and hpc), who competed for the first time after having been side-lined with an injury for a long time, won the 100m in 10.42s and the 200m in 20.76s.

“I am satisfied. I just wanted to get a feel for racing again and get the ‘rust’ out of my system before I start gunning for faster times.”

Wenda Nel, the South African 400-hurdles champion, won the 400m in 52.43s.

The Modern Athlete app is here and it is packed with all the information an athlete needs. Catch up with the latest articles, find out about upcoming events so you're ready for race day and check out the latest event digi-mags.

Boy does it have the perks!

– The app is perfect for the modern athlete who wants to keep motivated for that next goal, race or PB opportunity! 

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– You can also plan ahead! Check out the race calendar to pick out an event that fits with your needs or training.

Just search for the app on the iPhone App Store and Google Play for Android devices.

Have fun! 

Venue: Alto Wine Estate, Annandale Road, Stellenbosch (about 1km from Mooiberge/Thirsty Scare Crow)

What could be more pleasant than running on a warm summer night on one of our country’s oldest most beautiful and celebrated red wine estates. Being an avid trail runner, I was a bit reluctant at first because there were only two short distances on offer, 8 and 5km…

Turned out to be quite challenging: The first half of the route is steep and relentless uphill running (all on jeeptrack) and greeted at the top with a well deserved picturesque sunset view of the Helderberg Valley.

You will get a killer workout and it was quite the exercise to prevent yourself from tripping and stumbling with the fast descent.
Our post race treat: Live music with good red wine and cheese platters. Excellent venue and great organizing by Amoija Events.

This past weekend Jeep Team’s athletes claimed podiums across the country, with Hank McGregor winning the FNB Varsity College Surfski Series, OCR’s Thomas van Tonder and Hlubi Mboya dominating the Jeep Warrior Series and rising multisport star, Mikaela Jonsson, securing a Silver medal at the South African Triathlon Championships.

Obstacle Course Racing

Jeep Team’s Thomas van Tonder claimed his second consecutive 2015 Jeep Warrior Black Ops Elite victory on Saturday, winning Race#2 of the eight-race series in 1h14mins, ahead of Greg Avierinos (second) and Louis Smit (third). Jay Jay Deysel, who finished second in the first event, fought hard for his seventh place finish after a week of illness leading up to the race.

Said Van Tonder after finishing, “It was a very high intensity race, as the Warrior Series always is. It feels great to have two wins in a row. Hopefully I can keep up the pace!”

Jeep Team’s “Ghost Athlete”, the talented actress, DJ and sports woman, Hlubi Mboya, also did exceptionally well, winning her second Warrior race of the season in the Women’s 10-km Commando event.

Multisport

In the Eastern Cape, 17-year-old Mikaela Jonsson fought hard to secure a Silver medal in her age category at the SA Triathlon Championships, which took place in Buffalo City on Sunday.

The event was a qualifier for the SA Triathlon Team, with Jonsson now waiting to hear whether she has been selected to compete in the ITU World Triathlon Grand Finale, happening from 15 – 20 September 2015 in the United States.

Paddling

World-class paddler Hank McGregor has won the 2015 FNB Varsity College Marine Surfski Series for the second year running.

While there are still two races left in the series, McGregor’s fourth consecutive victory in Friday evening’s IT Works Surfski Challenge saw him secure the series title ahead of Matthew Bouman (who McGregor shared the 2014 title with).

Said McGregor, “I got the news once I got off the water and I’m stoked to have won the title again! It’s always nice to be racing neck and neck with Matthew (Bouman), he’s a top class athlete and deserved last year’s title just as much as I did but it was nice for me to be able to come back this year and get the win.”

Jeep Team’s Barry Lewin placed fifth in last week’s challenge, behind Bouman (second), Wade Krieger (third) and talented U-18 paddler Bailey de Fondaumiere (fourth).

Cycling

On Saturday, Jeep Team’s Thinus Redelinghuys secured second-place after a thrilling sprint finish against Allen Britnell at Race#1 of the USN Mountain Bike Cup Series. Britnell’s winning time was a fast 1h46mins, with Redelinghuys just one second behind and Guylin van der Berg in third.

Jeep Team’s Dylan Rebello faced fierce competition to secure a sixth place finish in category (U23) at the season-opening event of the Stihl 2015 SA MTB XCO Cup Series, which took place in Port Elizabeth on Saturday. Rebello was racing against South Africa’s top cross-country specialists, who were out in full force to earn UCI points ahead of 2016 Rio Olympics selection.

The Hyundai Rock The Run is back on Sunday 1 March 2015 and it’s bigger and better than before. Modern Athlete chatted to Pascalle Gerrard, Assistant Marketing Manager at Hyundai, about the event’s appeal and what makes it a fun day out for all.

What makes the 2015 edition different?

We learnt a lot from last year’s first introduction. With the 21km and 10km, we were limiting the whole family taking part so we have introduced a 5km this year so the kids can get involved, too. It’s about everyone enjoying themselves. The route has also changed up a bit as we were limited to playing music in the suburbs last year. Now, the route goes along a more industrial part of Sandton.

What was the initial idea behind the event? Have you noticed a trend in the SA market for events that promote fitness in an alternative way?

Hyundai wants to create an iconic and unique event to Jo’burg – one that appeals to the masses. We want everyone to come out, challenge themselves and have fun. We wanted to have an event focused on our love for music, especially local musicians. As a brand, Hyundai is very innovative and we want to be involved in anything that separates us from the crowd. It’s a new way to keep active and it was very popular in 2014 because we created a whole day from it with the music element.

For your competitive runners, your site hosts expert training advice and programmes and there are great incentives for category winners – is it also about turning the event into a must-do for some of the country’s top athletes?

We actually hope to make the event a benchmark for the top runners in South Africa. We want to see the event being used by top runners to prepare for their season. Our main focus is that we are giving people a chance to run in the heart of Sandton and also experience local acts that are so diverse. And their entry fee is all part of the rest of the day’s festivities.

Speaking of, the music line-up for 2015 also brings about a variety for every type of music fan in Matthew Mole, Mango Groove and Micasa – was the music and supporting local acts the initial idea behind the planning?

All the acts appeal to a broad audience. Runners can come with family and friends. It’s a chance to keep active, the route is challenging enough in itself and then you can stay around for all the entertainment and have some food and refreshments. The artists were also very excited about getting involved in the day!

The Sports Trust and the IMPERIAL Road Safety are the event’s charities – can you explain the relationship & why it was chosen? How can competitors get involved?

Imperial Road Safety is an important relationship for us because at Hyundai our main focus is on road safety for our customer so it definitely fits well with us. A portion of the runner’s entry fee will be given to them as well as The Sports Trust which ensures that all South Africans have an opportunity to partake in sport. We’ve been involved in sport for many years, across so many fields so it was an easy decision for us.

What are your goals for this race on the SA running calendar in the future?

We want to solidify the race on the South African running calendar – one that caters for family and one for the pros. We want to make it an annual event that becomes well-known and established. As we go through, we will improve on the experience and give runners the best experience we can.

It's all about seeking out that lifestyle – the one that makes you reach your potential

 

This weekend sees the Jeep Team competing in big events across South Africa, including the 64th Dusi Canoe Marathon, the Totalsports Xterra South African Championship and the season-opening race of the SA Cup Downhill Series and the Western Cape Provincial XCO.

Paddling

One of the world’s greatest paddling events – the Dusi Canoe Marathon – is taking place this weekend 19-21 February, with Jeep Team’s multiple world-champion paddler, Hank McGregor, set for an altogether different experience from previous marathons as he competes in the Mixed Doubles category for the first time with his wife Pippa.
The seasoned Dusi paddler, who has won two Dusi Marathons and two Non-stop Dusi Marathons, says that, while he is looking forward to paddling in the social ranks, he won’t forget his competitive edge. “If we can possibly win the husband-and-wife prize that would be a real cherry on the top!” he adds.

The 2015 Dusi Canoe Marathon is being held in honour of its founder and world-renowned conservationist, the late Dr Ian Player, who organised the first official race 64 years ago, on 22 December 1951.

Dr Player also competed in the first Marathon and was the only paddler out of a field of eight to finish. It took Dr Player an epic six days to complete the first race, during which time he was bitten by a Night Adder. Player crawled to a nearby road and managed to get a lift to a police station where he received anti-venom serum and then continued paddling till the finish line in Durban.

Cycling

An action-packed weekend for Jeep Team’s cycling crew sees MTB athletes, Pierre Smith and Thinus Redelinghuys, travel to Mpumalanga on Saturday for Race #2 of the Ashburton Investments National MTB Series, while Dylan Rebello will be competing in Round 2 of the Western Cape XCO Provincial Championships and on Sunday the 28km MTB leg of the Totalsports Xterra Grabouw. Also on Sunday, BMX athlete, Alex Dolman, will be racing in Round 1 of the Gauteng Provincial BMX Series.

Over 3 000 cyclists will be descending on the small town of Sabie, considered the ‘Mecca’ of mountain biking, to take on the 115-km UCI-classified National MTB event. Smith and Redelinghuys (who placed 38th and 17th respectively in Race#1) will be up against some of the best riders in the world, including Austria’s former world champion and winner of Race#1, Alban Lakata (Topeak Ergon); as well as South Africa’s Erik Kleinhans (Team RECM), Nico Bell (Team RECM) and Waylon Woolcock (Cannondale Blend).

Multisport

Jeep Team’s cross-triathlon African champion, Michael Lord, will be competing in Race #2 of the Totalsports XTERRA Series, taking place at the Grabouw Country Club from 21 – 22 February.

The second event also doubles up as the Xterra South African Championship, with Lord aiming to hold on to podium, after finishing 3rd overall at Xterra Buffelspoort.

Lord will be racing the Lite (400m swim; 12.5km MTB; 5km Trail Run) and Full distance (1.5km swim; 28km MTB; 12.5km trail run) events.

OCR

To prepare for Race #2 of the Jeep Warrior Series (happening next weekend), Jeep Team’s Thomas van Tonder, Jay Jay Deysel and Claudia Richard will also be travelling to Grabouw to race the 12.5km Puma Trail Run on Saturday.

“I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging,
and it’s very difficult to find anyone.” J.R.R Tolkein

If he’d mentioned that it would wind through magical woodlands, over the enchanted Amatola Mountains of the Eastern Cape and under its cascading waterfalls, his only difficulty would’ve been turning all the adventure keen applicants away.

The Merrell Hobbit Trail Run entices runners bewitched by the beauty of placing footprints in an indigenous forest to spend a weekend in the spectacular Hogsback region on the 25th and 26th April 2015. Earlier than its normal November slot, the two-day 100km, 38km, 16km and 5km fun run was moved forward to comply with landowners’ regulations.

A small band of just 45 spirited trail runners will gain entry to tackle the two-day 100km journey along the Amatola Hiking trail, ascending over 5000m, making this one of the toughest multi-day trail running events on the calendar. Both days are long, with average finishing times of 7-12 hours each day, giving the runners plenty of time to reflect on life’s subtleties, as they experience the physical, mental and emotional highs and lows that come with covering this extreme route. The camaraderie experienced at the communal and rustic overnight Cata Hut makes this truly a unique and wonderful event.

While the 100km runners make their journey from the overnight hut on Sunday 26th April, three other one-day events are undertaken around the mystical town of Hogsback. A 38km loop has runners ranging out and over the famous Hogsback Mountain as the 16km racers hurtle through the surrounding forest. The gentle 5km route gets families and kids firmly under the spell of single-track trail running.

Spoilt for choice with plenty of accommodation options in the region, this event offers a magical weekend for all participants as well as non-competing partners in South Africa’s very own mystical fairytale land.

Entries for all events are now open with limited entries available for the two-day Merrell Hobbit 100km.

Look to www.mountainrunner.co.za for full details.

Jeep Team South Africa is geared for another weekend of podium wins, with Hank McGregor and Barry Lewin racing the Varsity College Surfski Series (6 February), Mikaela Jonnson and Michael Lord taking on Race#1 of the Momentum Health Dual X series (7 February) and Gregg Brown competing in the first leg of the KZN Provincial Downhill Championships (8 February).

Surfski

On Friday, Jeep Team’s Hank McGregor and Barry Lewin will be competing in the Bay Union Surfski Challenge – Race#5 of the Varsity College Surfski Series. McGregor is a firm favourite, having won Race#1 and claiming victory at last weekend’s SA K1 River Championships at the Two Day Klip River Canoe Marathon in Gauteng.

After a solid start to the season, Lewin will be aiming to remain in the top 3; he has finished third in the previous two Varsity College Surfski Series races.

Multisport

In Multisport, Jeep Team’s rising star, Mikaela Jonnson, and Michael Lord (one of the team’s newest athletes) will be travelling to Gauteng to compete in Race#1 of the Momentum Health Dual X series, taking place on Saturday, 7 February, at Hakahana.

Jonnson (17) has had an impressive start to 2015; coming second overall in the Elite Women’s Category at Totalsports XTERRA Buffelspoort on 25 January. Jonnson was also first in the U18 category. A week previously, she won the KZN Triathlon Championships in her age category.

Lord (19) will be geared for gold in his new Jeep Team colours after an outstanding 2014 saw him finish in second place at the 2014 World Cross Triathlon Championships in Germany. Lord is also the 2015 SA and African Cross Triathlon champion.

The season-opener of the Dual X series will see athletes take on a 5km run, 30km MTB ride and then a further 2.5km run.
MTB

Jeep Team’s Gregg Brown (18) will be competing in Series 1 of the KZN Provincial Downhill Championships, taking place at the Karkloof MTB Club on Sunday, 8 February.

Brown will be racing for victory after a successful 2014 saw the young Downhill star represent South Africa at the 2014 DHI World Championships in Norway and place second in the Junior category at the 2014 SA National DHI Championships.