The Eikestad’s seventh Street Mile Festival will be taking place in Victoria Street, Stellenbosch, on Wednesday March 8, at 6pm, and forms part of the the University of Stellenbosch’s “Woordfees”.
The first Dagbreek Street Mile was held in 2011, in honour of former Matie De Villiers Lambrechts – the first South African athlete to run a dream mile (the mile in less than 4 minutes). This was accomplished on 13 November 1964, at Coetzenburg in Stellenbosch.
The Street Mile’s defending champion is Olympic athlete Johan Cronje. He has won the race three times and ran the first Victoria Street dream mile in 2015.
Several races are offered: men’s, women’s, schools and elite, while the exciting skateboard race also features on the program.
“Last year a dream mile was not destined for any of the participating athletes, but a dream mile was achieved in the skateboard division,” explains Francois Fouche, organiser of the Street Mile Festival.
The skateboard race was held last year for the first time, and is the only street mile for skateboards in South Africa. The winner was Walter Barlou with a time of 3:41:41.
Skateboarding acquired Olympic status last year, and will be offered for the first time as an item at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
Residences of the the University of Stellenbosch are also encouraged to challenge one another in the open division. The schools races are also gaining popularity by the year with races for boys and girls under-15 and under-19.
Music is offered between races to create a festive atmosphere, with performances by the 12-year-old singing sensation, Dirja Lekas.
She is the winner of the Young Divas Unite competition in 2016.
Big prizes and a lucky draw are at stake. The first 10 athletes in every race receive medals, and the first 30 athletes in the open men’s and women’s categories. The entry fee is R30.
Contact Francois Fouche at 083 368 5984 or email info@straatmyl.co.za
