Coetzee and King conquer Ebotse Swim the Mile

Dean Coetzee clocked 19:02 to win the men's race, while King won the women's race in 26:19.

March 7, 2026

Lebohang Pita 2 minutes read

Race organiser Glen Gore give the event a thumbs up. he's with the men's race winner Dean Coetzee.

Dean Coetzee and Karen King emerged as the overall winners of the inaugural Ebotse Swim the Mile, held at CR Swart Dam, after producing standout performances in the open-water event.

The led a 57-swimmer field in a race that marked an exciting new addition to the local sporting calendar, as swimmers, including the Benoni Open Water Swimmers (BOWS), tested their endurance in the scenic waters of the dam.

Over 50 swimmers started the inaugural Ebotse Swim the Mile.

Men’s race

Coetzee led from the buzzer and had already opened a sizeable gap over Giacomo Virgili by the first bouy. The lead grew with every stroke and by the time he reached the second bouy, the race was effectively over as he powered to line honours in a quickfire 19:02.

“I generally like to have a fast start. I try to get away from the bunch to get myself some open water. I like swimming in the front to have smoother water in front of me. From there, it was race management, trying to keep an eye on where my competitors were,” Coetzee said.

The men’s over 30 category top three are Wolfi Marilik (third), winner Dean Coetzee and runner-up Giacomo Virgili.

“I like to accelerate around the bouys to maximize my advantage. And then sort of manage the race halfway in, alternating between going hard and easy to ensure I maintain my lead,” he added.

Virgili exited the water 01:24 later, while Jaden Harris was the third swimmer home in 21:02.

The U30 men’s top three are third-placed Conrad van Rooyen, winner Jaden Harris and second-placed Deante James.

Women’s race

The women’s race proved far more competitive, with just two seconds separating first and second. King claimed victory in 26:19, narrowly edging Tamsin Obermeyer, who exited the water in 26:21 to take the runner-up spot. Youngster Bailey Marilik was the third woman home in 28:27.

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Long distance swimmer King said she couldnot have asked for better conditions on the day after conquering the 1.6km course.

The over 30 women’s top three are third-placed Tia Gruenefelder, winner Karen King and runner-up Tamsin Obermeyer.

“It was a lovely race. The conditions are beautiful. It’s a lovely event. The main thing was to see the bouys. We tried not to go hard early to have enough for the last bit. I’m really happy with my performance,” she said.

Organiser Glen Gore of Triathlon Plus, also the organizer of the Jozi Triathlon at the same venue, explained that he hopes it becomes an annual event.

“It’s something we’ll try to build on. We figured that since we have the triathlon champs here, we might as well do something for pure swimmers. Hopefully, it’s the first of many. I want to have this as an annual event,” he said.