The ‘Best track in Africa’ was launched last week in a veritable cornucopia of athletics entertainment, as current champions of track and field rubbed shoulders with legends of the past in Stellenbosch.
Stars of the 1970s and 80s – former world 800m record holder, March Fiasconaro, ultra-marathon great Bruce Fordyce and one-time South African marathon record-holder, Bernard Rose – connected trackside with two of the biggest names of the 1980s and 90s – Zola Budd and Elana van Zyl Meyer – while a clutch of the country’s current track heroes, including Olympic silver-medalists Akani Simbine, Bradley Nkoana and Jo-Ane van Dyk, gave the capacity crowd plenty to cheer about on the track itself.
The occasion was the launch of a world-class athletics track at Stellenbosch High School, a project of the Athletics and Cycling Education (ACE) Trust, a facility which will bring significant benefit to both developmental and seasoned athletes well beyond the catchment of the school. “With its breathtaking scenery and cutting-edge design, I truly believe this is one of the most beautiful tracks in the world,” said ACE Trust Chair, Dana Lazarus.
And with Simonsberg providing a spectacular backdrop to the track competition on a windless summer evening at the launch, few of the capacity crowd would take issue with that statement.
“I believe that this is now the number one track in Africa,” said Alroy Dixon, head coach of the sprinters at the Stellenbosch branch of Athletics, Cycling and Education (ACE). “Tonight’s opening marks a key milestone for the sport and to have a track of this calibre in Stellenbosch will make a massive difference to athletics in and around Stellenbosch, the Western Cape and beyond.
“The track has been constructed from some of the best product materials in the business as well as embracing the latest technology. We can now assign a record time over any distance to the set of coloured lights around the inside of the track, creating a clear moving marker for the athletes whose target might be to break that mark. It also enables spectators to judge how close the athlete is to achieving a record time.”
And with coaches of the calibre of Dixon, Zola Budd (middle distance, men), Nolene Conrad (middle distance, women), Heinrich Fortuin (jumps), JP van As (pole vault), Nicolene Cronje (race walking) and Jacques van Rensburg (strength and conditioning) as part of Stellenbosch ACE, it is clear there will be a maximal return on the investment of the track and related facilities.
The ACE Trust were clearly delighted at the success of the track launch. “To see the ACE vision for Stellenbosch come to fruition after all our physical and virtual meetings staged in Cape Town and Johannesburg is amazing,” said Fordyce. “March (Fiasconaro) had thought there would be just a few people attending, friends and families. Well, there was no more parking to be had – there are over 2000 people here tonight!”
Elana van Zyl has been at the forefront of the sport in Stellenbosch for well over three decades, as an athlete performing at the highest level, as the founding director of Endurocad – a top class running academy – and more recently as the CEO of Stellenbosch ACE, and was deeply moved at witnessing the unfolding of her vision in dramatic fashion.
“This is an extraordinary night,” she said. “I haven’t even got words to describe it. It’s just unbelievable to have an athlete of the calibre of Akani to open this track and have the likes of Ivan, Bruce, Bernie, Marcello and Julian (Marsay) all here to see this triumph and support the sport. And to see so many people coming out tonight – I think it’s the beginning of a new chapter.
“Only in my wildest dreams did I see a programme like this coming to fruition and when I see the changes in young lives, it’s extraordinary. Now it all starts to come together.
“One is driven by personal goals, and this is virtually the summation of a lifetime’s goals coming together in one place. You see in action talented young athletes aspiring to achieve their own goals and the older ones who are still cracking it at top level – that makes it really special.”
Lazarus made it clear that while the trust took pride in bringing such a project to completion, the launch event was about more than just a facility. “It’s about opportunity, transformation, and the power of sport to change lives,” the ACE Trust chair emphasised.
“The trust was founded to provide underprivileged young athletes with access to education and world-class training and in 2014 we partnered with TuksSport High School in Pretoria. That year, 24 students joined the program, and since then, over 160 underprivileged students have matriculated (through the programme), many going on to university. Some who are here tonight are enjoying professional athletics careers.
“Building on this success, in 2022, thanks to the determination of Elana Meyer, we launched a similar programme at Stellenbosch High School with 16 athletes. Today, the programme has grown to over 70 athletes and cyclists with our trust funding this track, a state-of-the-art gym, new tennis courts, student accommodation, and a refurbished hall – a total investment of R150 million!
“While our focus has always been on education, we know our students’ first love is athletics and as a testament to the Trust’s success, tonight, 10 ACE alumni will be racing – Clarence Munyai (who was part of the very first group in 2014), Gift Leotletla, Sinesipho Dambile, Benjamin Richardson, Bradley Nkoana, Viwe Jingqi, Prudence Sekgodiso, Karabelo Matlhabede & Reoabaka Matshitse.
“Of the alumni here tonight, five have represented South Africa at the Olympic Games, three have run at Diamond League events and five hold national records,” Lazarus proudly boasted, but pointed out it was not only on the track that they succeeded. “They were also leaders—six were school prefects, and one was head prefect.”
An important aim for the trust is to break the cycle of poverty, using sport as a vehicle to attain that goal. “Many of our students come from incredibly difficult backgrounds,” Lazarus explained before sharing some examples of ACE alumni who made good.
“Twins from an orphanage in Middelburg arrived at the school with nothing but the clothes on their backs. Through athletics, they earned scholarships to study in the U.S., completed their degrees, and are now working toward their master’s in social work—hoping to return to South Africa one day.
“One of our pupils came from rural KZN. Both parents were unemployed so he saved his pocket money from the Trust to send home to his mother so she could buy food for his siblings. He matriculated in 2018 and is now a sports director and teacher.
“A girl came to us from foster care, became deputy head girl, earned a degree in Information Science, and now has a promising career ahead of her.”
Lazarus emphasised that the Trust was about producing champions in life, champions who might have joined the programme never having run in shoes and whose only meal was at school.
“All they needed was a safe place to sleep, a teacher who cared, and a coach who believed in them,” Lazarus concluded before paying tribute to the incredible coaches, teachers, and mentors at Stellenbosch. “Together, we are not just building tracks—we are paving pathways to success.”
If the resplendent navy blue eight-lane track was the evening’s centrepiece, the racing on the track provided the fireworks, with some of the country’s leading athletes recording top performances, mostly in non-Olympic distances.
Top attraction was undoubtedly sprint king, Simbine, currently ranked second in the world over 100m, who blitzed the 60m in 6,57 sec, with fellow Olympians, Benjamin Richardson, Bradley Nkoana and Gift Leotlela trailing in the minor places. While Simbine’s ‘entertainment time’ on the track was short, the quadruple Olympian more than made up for it post-race, pausing among swarming fans for numerous selfies and autographs.
Simbine’s performance was top of the points table for the evening, earning 1170 pts on the World Athletics scoring index, ahead of another Olympian, Tsepo Tshite’s 1145 points in the 3000m and Sinesipho Dambile’s silky-smooth 32,21 in the 300m, which earned him 1143 points.
Tshite, took on the national 10 000m champion, Nadeel Wildschutt, on ‘neutral territory’ over 3000m, with Tshite racing clear in the final two laps to win by 9 seconds in a fast 7:45,14.
South Africa’s leading two-lapper, Prudence Sekgodiso, who made the 800m final in Paris, galloped home in the 600m in 1:26,17 for 1136 points, two seconds clear of Tuksport athlete, Michaela Oosthuizen.
National 100m champion and ACE alumnus, Viwe Jingqi, blazed to victory in in the women’s 60m in a fast 7,28 sec, while Paris Olympics silver medalist in the javelin, Jo-Ane du Plessis’ 60.17m throw earned her an impressive 1087 points.
The return to track competition of former world long jump champion, Luvo Manyonga, three months after his doping-related suspension ended, created much interest. Manyonga’s 7.31m for third place was 1,3m off his personal best and 0.2m behind the competition winner, Divan Manuel of Athletes Academy, but it was the start of his come-back trail to top competition.
Results
Men 60m
1 Akani Simbine BCK 6.57; 2 Abduragmaan Karriem UWC 6.61; 3 Benjamin Richardson NWU 6.66; 4 Bradley Nkoana NWU 6.72; 5 Gift Leotlela CUR 6.78
Men 300m
1 Sinesipho Dambile CUR 32.21 (1143 pts); 2 Gardeo Isaacs (BEL) 32.45 (1121); 3 Keegan vd Merwe ITH 34.01; 4 Clarence Munyai CUR 34.23
Men 600m
1 Duvan Faro UWC 1:18:10 (1019); 2 William Dommisse AA 1:19,78; 3 Johan Stadler MAT 1:20,50
Men 3000m
1 Tsepo Tshite (PHA) 7:45,14 (1145); 2 Nadeel Wildschutt (AA) 7:54,76 (1087); 3 Christopher Swart PTC 7:56,45 (1077); 4 Anthony Timoteus AA 7:59,11 (1061); 5 Deon-Lee Hendricks AA 8:08,35 (1008)
Men High Jump
1 Breyton Poole AA 2,05; 2 Luke vd Merwe AA 2.00; 3 Keagan Fourie AA 2.00
Men Long Jump
1 Divan Manuel AA 7.53 (1035); 2 Keanu Moodie AA 7.42 (1012); 3 Luvo Manyonga INV 7.31
Women 60m
1 Viwe Jinqi NWU 7.28; 2 Naboeeyah Karriem UWC 7.72; 3 Tamryn Booysen 7.78
Women 600m
1 Prudence Sekgodiso PHA 1:26,17 (1136); 2 Michaela Oosthuizen TUK 1:28,31 (1084); Mia Lyons AA 1:32,60
Women Pole Vault
1 Mire Reinstorf MAT 4.10; 2 Ansume de Beer AA 4.00; 3 Sydney Rothman AA 3.70
Women Javelin
1 Jo-ane van Wyk du Plessis AA 60.17 (1081); 2 Marine Grobler LAN 49.24
Meanwhile, South Africa’s track and field stars will take on some of Africa’s top athletes at the first leg of the ASA Grand Prix series, a World Athletics Continental Tour Challenger meeting, at Pilditch Stadium in Tshwane tomorrow night (Wednesday, 12 March 2025).
A thrilling battle is expected in the men’s 100m race, which features African record holder, Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya, as well as his experienced compatriot Mark Odhiambo. While Omanyala will line up as the pre-race favourite, he will have to dig deep to hold off challenges from the likes of Odhiambo, former SA 200m champion Luxolo Adams and 32-year-old Emile Erasmus, who will be eager to take another step forward in his comeback season.
Among the women, all eyes will be on the middle-distance events. In the 1 500m race, Prudence Sekgodiso will compete for the second time on SA soil this year, after lowering her own national short track 800m record to 1:59.88 on the European indoor circuit last month.
In field events, former world champion Luvo Manyonga continues his comeback to competitive athletics following his warm-up contest in Stellenbosch last week, when he lines up in the men’s long jump.
