Biggest African Medal Haul for SA African Championships , Saint Pierre , Mauritius , 8-12 June

The SA national team returned from the CAA African Senior Athletics Championships with its largest haul of medals since readmission to international competition in 1993 . The South Africans secured a total of 36 podium places , made up of nine gold , 13 silver and 14 bronze medals , to finish runners-up behind Kenya in the final standings . Kenya , who retained the continental crown , won 10 golds , but only secured 23 medals in total .

almost 39-year-old South African junior all-comers record by three seconds , but this time she broke it by the same margin with her 32:17 PB . The first South African home was Irvette van Zyl ( 33:03 ) in fourth place , and Johannes easily won the veteran category . As in the first race , 12 runners dipped under 34 minutes .

Here are South Africa ’ s medallists :

• Gold : Miranda Coetzee ( W 400m ); Sokwakhana Zazini ( M 400m hurdles ); Zeney van der Walt ( W 400m hurdles ); Women ’ s 4x400m Relay ( Zeney van der Walt , Miranda Coetzee , Taylon Bieldt , Precious Molepo ); Mire Reinstorf ( W pole vault ); Jo-Ane van Dyk ( W javelin ); Ischke Senekal ( W shot put ); Werner Visser ( M discus ); Allan Cumming ( M hammer throw )

• Silver : Akani Simbine ( M 100m ); Taylon Bieldt ( W 400m hurldes ); Ryan Mphahlele ( men ’ s 1500m ); Men ’ s 4x100m Relay ( Henricho Bruintjies , Cheswill Johnson , Antonio Alkana , Benjamin Richardson ); Women ’ s 4x100m Relay ( Marzaan Loots , Banele Shabangu , Charlize Eilerd , Phindile Khubheka ); Wayne Snyman ( M

Zeney van der Walt ( right ) congratulates Taylon Bieldt

Miranda Coetzee

20km walk ); Fredriech Pretorius ( M decathlon ); Shannon Verster ( W heptathlon ); Cheswill Johnson ( M long jump ); McKyla van der Westhuizen ( W javelin ); Kyle Blignaut ( men ’ s shot put ); Victor Hogan ( men ’ s discus ); Tshepang Makhethe ( M hammer throw )

• Bronze : Henricho Bruintjies ( M 100m ); Carina Horn ( W 100m ); Clarence Munyai ( M 200m ); Prudence Sekgodiso ( W 800m ); Antonio Alkana ( M 110m H ); Marione Fourie ( W 100m H ); Jesse Perez ( M decathlon ); Mpho Links ( M high jump ); Yvonne Robson ( W high jump ); Valco van Wyk ( M pole vault ); Phil-Mar Janse van Rensburg ( M javelin ); Jana van Schalkwyk ( W javelin ); Zonica Lindeque ( W shot put )

Tables Turned in SPAR Durban Spar Grand Prix Series 10km , Durban , 26 June

Ethiopia ’ s Tadu Teshome Nare , overall winner of the Spar Grand Prix Series in 2021 , was comfortably beaten by 2019 series winner Helalia Johannes ( Namibia ) in the first race of this year ’ s series in Gqeberha . However , she took revenge in the second race in Durban to win in 31:50 , with Johannes finishing nine seconds in arears . They ran together for most of the race until Nare broke away just after 9km .

Third was Nare ’ s compatriot , Selam Fente Gebre , who in the first race in Gqeberha had just missed Zola Budd ’ s

Irvette van Zyl , Helalia Johannes , Selam Gebre and Tadu Nare

Will Wins Marathon at Almost 70 KFC Mauritius Marathon , Saint-Felix , Mauritius , 3 July

Capetonian Grandmaster Nancy Will became the eighth-oldest woman in history to win an open marathon outright when she took line honours in the KFC Mauritius Marathon in 3:59:24 , with another South African , Karen Barnard , second in 4:06:14 . Will , who turns 70 on 2 October , was 69 years and 274 days old on the day of the race .

The oldest woman to have won a marathon is Germany ’ s Sigrid Eichner , who was 76 years , 91 days old when she won in Berlin in 6:52:30 in 2016 . Five men older than 70 have won marathons outright , with the oldest being Dan Schuff ( USA ), who was 78 years 276 days old when he won in San Antonio , Texas , in 6:23:01 in 2013 .

Will is the current SA grandmasters marathon champion after winning the title in Durban in 4:12:42 in May . She also won the title last year , and these are just two of the many SA age-group titles she has won over the years . Furthermore , Will holds the IAU World Record for 50km in the 60-64 age group with the 4:12:55 en route during the 2015 Two Oceans Marathon . She also holds the SA Records in this age

Images : Rogan Ward , Anthony Grote , Josh Reid , Tony Will & courtesy African Championships in Athletics 2022