Mphahlele to set the UWC track alight in big meet tonight

The wind has dropped, anticipation is building and the athletes are ready to deliver their races of the season at the second in the series of the Cape Milers Club and Endurocad Continental Tour Challenger 2024 meetings at the University of the Western Cape this evening (Monday 29 April).

The series has been recognised by South Africa’s top track athletes as the place to perform in middle and longer distance track racing and while the wind put paid to the perfect at the first meeting on Friday evening, the quality of racing was of the highest level.

Top of the evening was Botswana’s top 800m athlete, Oratile Nowe, in her quest to qualify for the Paris Olympics. Despite the wind, she was less than 2 seconds from the standard, but her 2 min 01,12 sec was a meeting record and earned her 1143 points to top the table on Friday.

Another Botswanan athlete, Kethobohile Haingura, was next best on the night, his 1:47,68 in the 800m to outkick Dutch athlete Samuel Chapple by a narrow margin earning him 1094 points.

Veteran distance athlete Jerry Motsau, 34, turned back the clock to win the 5000m ahead of the more favoured Precious Mashele. Motsau’s 13:36,20 was an outstanding effort in the windy conditions and earned him fourth place on the evening’s table behind Chapple with Mashele tying with 800m athlete Renier de Villiers in fifth.

Last year Ryan Mphahlele raced to the best ever 1500m on South African soil in the equivalent track meeting at Green Point and Mphahlele will be racing the 1500m tonight, fresh from his third place in the Adizero: Roads to Records Mile in Germany last week, in what could be the highlight of the evening.

The pre-programme gets underway from 16h00 with the pole vault with the packed hour-long Elite programme starting at 18h30 with the men’s 400m and climaxing with the men’s 1500m at 19h20.

Tickets can be purchased, via Quicket.co.za (ref Cape Milers Club Endurocad Meetings). Adult tickets are R50 and children under eighteen are Free. Gates open at 3pm and food & beverages will be on sale at the grounds. Racing will finish by 20:45.

The event will also be live on SuperSport Channel 209 (WAC Programme) and on SuperSport Schools Channel 216.