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The highly anticipated Thembisa Street Mile is gearing up for its biggest event yet, with organisers aiming to attract a record 4,000 participants when the race commences at the Olifantsfontein Sports Ground on 26 October.
The starter’s gun will go off at 7am, marking the second consecutive year the event is hosted at this venue after relocating from Makhulong Stadium due to ongoing construction.
Now part of the Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA) 10km Championships, the event continues to grow in leaps and bounds, drawing elite runners and social athletes.
Headline sponsors Lenmed has returned once again, helping to make the event possible.
In previous years, top local stars such as Olympian Prudence Sekgodiso, Elroy Gelant, and Ryan Mphahlele have graced the course.
Entries are open at www.thembisamile.co.za, with the 10km race priced at R150 (plus R60 for a temporary license), and the 1-mile race at R50 (R30 for a temporary license if required).
Founder Donald Mathipa, who launched the race in 2012, told SABC Sport that he expects fireworks at this year’s edition and encouraged runners to register early to avoid disappointment.
“We had 3,000 entries last year. This time, we're aiming for 3,500 in the 10km and 500 in the 1-mile,” said Mathipa.
“The event will again start and finish at Olifantsfontein, which offers better parking for athletes and supporters. Last year, parking delays forced us to start ten minutes late — so we’ve adjusted the layout to prevent that.”
A total prize purse of R114,000 will be up for grabs. The winners of the men’s and women’s 10km races will each take home R10,000, while the champions of the 1-mile race will earn R4,000 each. The top ten finishers in the 10km event and the top eight in the 1-mile will receive prize money.
The 1-mile event will be split into multiple categories, including age groups for boys and girl's under-10, 11–13, 14–15, and 16–19, along with a 1-mile walk and an elite invitational mile capped at 25 athletes based on Athletics South Africa rankings.
CGA has also allocated R11,600 in additional prize money for the top finishers in the senior, junior, masters, and grand masters age groups.
“The 1-mile race will follow a new route around the sports ground, while the 10km has only minor tweaks and will still run through parts of Thembisa,” added Mathipa. “We’re grateful to our sponsors for standing by us as the race continues to grow.”
