Runners take to the streets in Swaneville

The streets of Swaneville around Lodirile High School came alive with athletic action as runners took on the Zet Sinqe 5km Series and Street Mile recently.

The event is a vision and dream of the Sinqe Family Trust Fund that deemed it necessary to carry on the late Zet Sinqe’s passion for the development of athletics at grassroots level. He was a Krugersdorp resident who had a passion for athletics. A legend of his time, having bagged gold medals in both the Two Oceans and Comrades Marathon and he was also an analyst on SABC Sport.

As expected, the 5km event lived up to expectations and cascaded into a two-horse race by local boy Zenzile Pheko from Munsieville Kopano Athletics Club and Andries Sesedi from the Nedbank Running Club in Zenzele near Mohlakeng.

From the starting pistol, Zenzile tried to move away from the pack but had to settle down. Despite his aggressive start, it was not to be as Andries, the SA 10km champ, crossed the finish line first in a time of 15 minutes and 5 seconds. Zenzile was second in a time of 15 minutes and 10 seconds while Reatlgile Mosoeu was third in a time of 15 minutes and 33 seconds.

Lebo Phalula from Boxer cruised to victory in the women’s event with a time of 17 minutes and 53 seconds with Wilma Nkun from the University of Johannesburg in second with a time of 20 minutes and 1 second. Third was Cornelia Joubert, also from Boxer, in a time of 21 minutes and 7 seconds.

I could have gone under 15 minutes but failed due to a bout of flu. However, one has to be content with victory on the day,” said Andries.

“As the Sinqe Trust Fund, we are happy to carry the legacy of our father seeing that the sport is being developed at grassroots level. We will have another series of events in Thokoza and Soweto,” concluded Zintle Mokoka, daughter of Zethulele Sinqe.