Local runner heading to the top
LONEHILL – First spotted by parkrun organisers Trevor Nel and George Joubert at the Lonehill parkrun, Diepsloot runner Pule Maeko is fast carving a name for himself in the running world.
Marcel Viljoen, chairman and head coach of Fitness From Africa Athletic Club said, “It was difficult not to spot him as he was always home first and hardly even raising a sweat. Parkrun organisers Trevor and George put him in contact with Lonehill’s local running club, Fitness From Africa Athletic Club, which took him under their wing and soon he was joining in for regular track and hill training sessions at Fourways High School.”
Besides being the current record holder of the Lonehill parkrun, with a blistering time of 00:15:47, the talented athlete has also converted his speed over short distances into some phenomenal times in longer road races.
Maeko recently qualified for and represented Central Gauteng at the South African National Marathon Championships finishing seventh in a respectable time of 02:20:00.
Only a few weeks later, Maeko got his first marathon victory when he won the Jacaranda Marathon in Pretoria, again clocking 02:20:00.
His final outing for the year was on 29 November, where he aced the difficult local race, the RAC Tough One 32km, where he was once again the first man home.
Viljoen said, “For a young, unemployed runner from a local settlement, this young man is going to go places soon. We are hoping to get some sponsorship for him next year so that he can attend the big races around the country and even make a name for himself at the Two Oceans Marathon.”
Nel said Maeko, along with two of his Diepsloot friends, Samuel Mashishi and Kau Maruma, also members of Fitness From Africa, were the only runners thus far to have run faster than 17 minutes in the Lonehill parkrun.
Details: www.fitnessfromafrica.co.za; 082 675 6399.
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