Katleho Khanye breaks a parkrun-record
The weather does not play a big part in his exercise rituals and he is ready, even when the temperature soars.
Katleho Samuel Khanye dreams big, but after completing the Standerton parkrun in a record time of 16 min 05 sec on Saturday, 19 October, he is totally committed.
“I am a serious athlete and knew I was doing good,” Katleho said.
His introduction to the parkrun was a chance meeting with Fadeela Omar, its regional ambassador, at the Standerton Show Grounds during one of his practice sessions.
To be on time at 8am on a Saturday morning, he walks from Sakhile to the Standerton River Park in no less than 45 minutes.
The weather does not play a big part in his exercise rituals and he is ready, even when the temperature soars.
“I enjoy running on a hot day because the muscles respond well.”
His daily training regimen involves a 10 to 15km run from as early as 5am, followed by exercising at the show grounds and concentrating on the 200m at the stadium of Hoërskool Standerton.
Katleho wants to specialise in the 10km and 21km and aims to be the fastest runner in both items. “I want to be selected for the South African team,” he added.
A pair of tekkies lasts him seven months before new ones have to take the hammering both on local soil as in places such as Durban.
He recently competed in the FNB 10km at the seaside and finished in 32 min 19 sec and was not impressed with his performance.
“I was slow because of the seedings.”
This young athlete also traveled to Tembisa on Sunday, 27 October to take on the Tom Tom Street Mile, running under the banner of the Old Eds Club from Gauteng.
“The only way to be on top is to run fast times and I set myself targets for the now impossible but could reach it next year,” Katleho concluded.
