SA Teen Sprinters Smash Records at Curro Podium Finale

At just three years old, Tiisetso Malungane would chase his marathon-runner mother across training fields, cutting corners just to keep up. This past weekend at 16, he ran 1,500 meters in 3:45.35, setting a new record and proving that little boy could really run.

Over 1,500 young athletes from 45 schools gathered at Pilditch Stadium in Pretoria for the Curro Podium Grand Finale on February 13 and 14. They didn't just compete. They shattered expectations.

Malungane earned 2,000 Athletics South Africa points across two races, including a distance double in the 3,000m with an 8:21.03 finish. His coach Dillan van Rooyen calls him a "generational talent" and admits the hardest part of coaching him is trying to slow him down.

His mother Catherine ran throughout her pregnancy and returned to training just two weeks after giving birth. "For me to put food on the table, I had to go and run," she said. Her son absorbed that dedication before he could even walk.

But Malungane wasn't alone in making history. Mukona Manavhela from the same school, Curro Hazeldean, blazed through the U19 boys 100m in 10.20 seconds. Jayden Fourie from Outeniqua High School set another record at 10.38 seconds in the U17 category.

Sarah Reed from Curro Hillcrest became the only female athlete to break the 24-second barrier in the 200m while setting a new record. Lara Stander traveled all the way from Paarl to run the 1,500m in under 4:30 minutes, another record performance.

Why This Inspires

This isn't just about fast times on a stopwatch. The Curro Podium serves as one of the few school-level events where young athletes can qualify for official national rankings, creating a real pathway from playground to podium.

Curro Hazeldean has already produced Olympic silver medalist Bayanda Walaza, who competed in Paris 2024, and Matodzi Ndou, who set an African U18 hurdles record in 2024. The school's legendary coach Thabo Matebedi has built a pipeline that turns promising kids into world-class athletes.

"More than a competition, the event serves as a pathway, unlocking raw potential and revealing a pipeline of talent ready to carry South Africa's sporting legacy forward," said Cindy van der Merwe, Portfolio Manager of Curro Sport.

For every record that fell last weekend, a young person discovered what they're capable of when someone believes in them and gives them a place to run.