Hundreds expected at Dagbreek Straatmyl
HUNDREDS of athletes are expected to take part in 9th Dagbreek Straatmyl (daybreak street mile) in Stellenbosch tomorrow.
Event organiser Francois Fouche said the event attracted 320 athletes last year, and this year the interest was very high.
He said this year’s event would have seven races in 12 divisions and an under-13 boys race and girls race being added to the PNA schools race, in addition to the under-15 and under19 races.
“Prizes are up for grabs for the school with the most participants and best performance. Besides some serious attempts by some of the amateur runners, the men’s and women’s open categories are once again set to provide some comic relief, with mass participation by students and other less serious athletes.
“The main item on the programme will be the elite race.
“Although athletes from UWC triumphed the past two years, it could just be a Matie who crosses the finish line first this year.
“As usual, there will be loads of entertainment in between the races, with Deidre Barnard, who finished in the top three in the popular TV series Die Kontrak, also performing,” said Fouche.
There is also the skateboard category, which is being held for the fourth time this year.
Fouche challenged participants to become the second runner in the event’s history to run a mile in under four minutes – commonly referred to as a “dream mile”.
Dagbreek Straatmyl forms part of the Straatmylfees (Street Mile Festival) and the Stellenbosch University Woordfees (Wordfest) that celebrates its 20th anniversary this year.
“In 2015, the former Olympic athlete Johan Cronje ran the first, and so far the only, dream mile in Victoria Street.
“It could just be that the Dream Mile trophy, which is on offer for the athlete who finishes the race in under four minutes, will find a new owner this year,” Fouche said.
Naming potential new owners of the trophy, he added: “Ryan Mphahlele, who won all three races at the Eden Bestmed series in Oudtshoorn in December, and who ran two dream miles in two days, has already confirmed that he will be participating.”
Fouche said Mphahlele boasts a dream mile best time of 3:56 and several crosscountry titles, and wants to qualify for the 1 500m race at Japan’s 2020 Olympic Games.
Fouche said last year’s winner in the boys U-19 race, Geo van Niekerk, would also participate, as well as masters division defending champion Max Rupert.
Other contenders for this year’s Dagbreek Straatmyl include Peter Oosthuisen, a national pentathlon champion, and Hendrik Cronje, a former 7de Laan soapie actor.