Scores of young athletes from Alexandra showcased their talent and passion for athletics on Saturday during Run Alex Athletics Club’s fourth annual Juniors’ Day at Kwabhekilanga Sports Ground.

The event served as a platform for children and teenagers to compete in sprints, covering various distances ranging from 60m to 800m.

At the same time, the event highlighted the club’s mission to steer youth away from the streets and onto a clear pathway to athletic excellence and development.

Read more: Alex 10K runners rise above the rain and hills to conquer the course

From its inception, Run Alex has refused to be an ordinary running club. Chairperson Mokakatla Masekela said they deliberately set out to tackle the real challenges facing Alexandra’s children.

“We know the issues affecting our community. Our ultimate goal was to create platforms that are impactful for the children, places where they can explore their talent and form beautiful relationships,” Masekela said.

The long-term impact is already evident, according to Masekela. He said children who joined the programme as young as seven are now competing at provincial level events.

Anelisa Mzimazi, Run Alex Juniors’ director, stressed the programme’s role in opening doors that many families don’t even know exist.

“A lot of people do not know the right path to follow when you want to pursue a career in athletics.

This programme gives children in Alexandra the opportunity to compete in Central Gauteng Athletics, and some of them have already represented Gauteng,” Mzimazi said.

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Juniors’ Day forms a crucial part of Run Alex’s talent identification and development pipeline, designed to nurture the next generation of Gauteng and South African champions while building confidence and tight community bonds.

@caxtonjoburgnorth Run Alex Athletics Club holds its annual juniors’ day at Kwabhekilanga Sports Ground, giving scores of young people an opportunity to showcase their passion for athletics. Video: Itumeleng Maloka #caxtonlocalmedia #newsupdate #Localnews #johannesburg #Communitynews #Sportsnews #Alex #Run #Localsports #2026 #Gomora ♬ original sound – Caxton Joburg North

According to Masekela, their growth overtime hinged fairly on the support they received along the way.

“We were not going to succeed without a lot of assistance. I remember from day one, we had people like Donald Mathipa, and Zakhele Siwela, the South African Football Association referee, who came here and guided us, and today, we see parents turning up in big numbers.”

Masekela emphasised that their broader vision is to provide safe, structured platforms for children through athletics and extracurricular activities.

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