Masters athletics alive and well

Germiston Stadium is set to welcome top masters athletes on April 9.

The Central Gauteng Masters Athletics Championships start at 6.30am and will run until 5pm.

About 250 athletes have entered the event from Central Gauteng, as well as Gauteng North, Free State, Central North West, North West North, Vaal Triangle, KZN and South Western districts.

Some big names have entered, including Shaun Bownes (45), a well-known hurdler from the past.

Bownes won a silver medal in 2014, in the World Indoor Championships, in the 60m hurdles, as well as in the World Outdoor Championships, last year, in the 110m hurdles.

Other competitors to look out for are Chris Harmse (43), who still holds the South African record in the hammer throw, Monty Hacker (81) who won a gold medal in Lyon, France in 2016 and Salome Vermeulen, who will be competing in a brand new age group (50) and is aiming at adding two more national records to her list in the 800m and 1 500m.

She already holds two South African records in the 45 years age group.

Many of the entrants have competed and won medals at various world championship events and hold numerous South African age group records between them.

Many of the entrants, who joined the masters after their senior days, rank among the top masters in the world.