Multitudes of aspiring athletes of secondary schools in the Free State are ready to compete in the Motheo schools athletics meeting.
This championship, scheduled for Saturday (26/02), will take place at the Free State Athletics Stadium in Bloemfontein.
Learners will show their mettle in various track and field events, namely the 100 m, 200 m, 400 m, 800 m, 1 500 m, 5 000 m and 10 000 m races, as well as long jump, high jump, discus throw, hammer throw and shot put.
The athletes with the best performance will go on to compete in the provincial championship.
A group of bold barefoot runners of different schools in Botshabelo already set the tone for success during the town’s interschool athletics meeting staged at the stadium on Saturday (19/02).
They performed well despite running on an unfamiliar track.
Among the star performers in the 1 500 m event for girls U17 were Pulane Mbuli and Mpho Hlalele of the Lenyora La Thuto Secondary School and Buhle Dael of the Senakangwedi Secondary School.
Although the competition was stiff, Buhle ended up winning comfortably in 6:13.49.
Of the six girls in the race, four – Buhle included – ran barefoot. They did, however, wear blister plasters to provide some protection against the pressure and friction of the artificial track surface.
By baring their soles, these young athletes are reliving Zola Budd’s inspiring performances that saw her conquer the world in the 1980s.
She competed for Great Britain and later for South Africa running barefoot.
Budd, born in Bloemfontein, achieved fame in 1984 when she broke the 5 000 m world record with a time of 15:01.83 at the age of 17.
Barefoot runners of
different schools in
Botshabelo already set the
tone for success.
