Parys Crater Street Mile making history

Three times national champion Nkosinathi Sibaya, and bronze medalist at the World University Games, Charné Swarts, made it two in a row, winning the Elite Men’s and Ladies’ races, respectively, at the Parys Crater Street Mile on Wednesday, 12 October.
Organised by the Parys Rotary Club and hosted in conjunction with Parys Info and Tourism, the event was under the auspices of Parys Multisport Club, according to the rules and regulations of World Athletics, Athletics South Africa, and Athletics Free State.

This time, the Parys Crater Street Mile proved to be an even greater success than the first event, with 420 participants, turning the main street of Parys into a hive of activity that Wednesday afternoon.

Johan Du Plessis measured the route. He is one of the few route measurers in South Africa with the credentials to certify road-running routes.

He visited Parys on the Sunday before the race to measure the Parys Crater Street Mile, making it the first event of its kind in the Free State Province certified for an exact distance of 1609 metres (1 mile) from start to finish.

The street mile is an internationally recognised race distance.

Having a certified measured route not only verifies the distance to be accurate but also opens up the option for the Parys Crater Street Mile organisers to present this event for provincial trials and championships in the future.
Athletes who compete at certified events throughout the year can qualify for provincial team selection to compete at the National Championships.

Athletes who meet the national selection criteria could also represent South Africa in this event on the international stage.
For runners who compete to win this event and go home with a large pot of money, many tactical and technical elements are involved.

About the route:
The Parys Crater Street Mile has a “flat” start, and athletes unfamiliar with the course will almost certainly go out too fast and kill their legs in the first 400 m.

The more experienced runners aim for a more controlled start and get into a rhythm as quickly as possible.

Track athletes tend to lead the pack from the start to create a little distance between them and the roadies before they reach the uphill between “Cherry On Top” and “Plumtree”.

The middle 800 m section of the course demands considerable discipline and tactics as runners start to break away from the pack to position themselves for the final 400 m. The last 400 m is brutal and demands a downhill sprint to the finish line with legs saturated with lactic acid.

The Parys Crater Street Mile is undoubtedly a fast and technical course with no room for mistakes or letting off the pace.
In the Elite division of the street mile, you will see a mix of track, cross country, and road running athletes, each with their unique “superpowers”. They start shoulder to shoulder but have different tactics for a race like this.

Track athletes are known for their exceptional speed and ability to “kick” for the finish. Road-running athletes are physically and mentally trained to sustain high, controlled speeds for a long time. Cross-country athletes dominate long-distance running in physical conditioning, tolerance for lactic acid, and ability to run very fast over varying terrain.
In a street mile race, it is difficult to predict who the winner will be between these very distinctive groups. They all have what it takes but will have very different “race plans”.

Each athlete will essentially be running their street mile in pursuit of victory and breaking the 4-minute barrier, also known as a Golden Mile.

The winners

For Elite Men’s winner, Nkosinathi Sibaya, however, there was disappointment when he missed the Golden Mile, finishing in a time of 4:02.06.

With the previous Parys Crater Street Mile, he broke the 4-minute barrier. He runs for Team South Africa 1,500 m and is the ASA Cross Country 10 km national champion.

Keanu Domingo (Parys Crater Street Mile 4:03.05), Team South Africa 1,500 m (3:44.54) took second place, with Niel van der Merwe (Parys Crater Street Mile 4:03.06), Team South Africa 1,500 m (3:44.70), 3,000 m (7:59.77), 5,000 m (13:53.32), 5 km Road (14:32), 10 km Road (30.17), in third place.

Charné Swarts with announcer Thabo Molete.

The winner of the 2023 Parys Crater Street Mile Elite Women’s race was Charné Swarts (Parys Crater Street Mile 4:41.01), Team South Africa 800 m (02:03.28) and 1,500m (4:15.99), and bronze medalist at the World University Games.

Simonay Weitsz (Parys Crater Street Mile 4:45.06), Team South Africa 800 m (2:06.55) and 1,500 m (4:19.32), USSA Senior Women 4 km Cross Country Champion, was second.

The third place belonged to Carmie Prinsloo (Parys Crater Street Mile 4:46.02), Youth Olympian (800 m, 1,500 m, and 5,000 m), Team South Africa 800 m (2:06.66), 1,500 m (4:18.05), 3,000 m (9:13.51), 5,000 m (16:12.57), 10,000 m (36:10:21), 10 km Road (34:31), Cross Country NCAA South Central Region 6 km champs (41st), SEC 6km champs (35th).

As with the previous event, the familiar voice of announcer Thabo Molete, known by most runners, ensured that the crowd of spectators felt a part of every race.

Thabo is an athletics analyst and a well-known face on SuperSport and popular events like the Comrades Marathon, Run your City Series, the Twizza Diamond League and many more.

The Parys Crater Street Mile allowed young and old, fit and not so fit, to participate.
Many primary school learners turned up, but residents of the Sally Martin Park retirement village supporting the event with their participation deserve a shout-out.

So does the Anatomic team for their support, the Working on Fire team, and no fewer than 12 police members from the Fezile Dabi District and the District office, who completed the mile.

A tap on the shoulder for Parys Rotary Club, Parys Info & Tourism, Parys Multisport, the sponsors, athletes and spectators, who all played a role in the success of the Parys Crater Street Mile.

The next Parys Crater Street Mile is scheduled to happen on Saturday, 12 October 2024.

Photos: Liezl Scheepers