Mekonnen Gebremedhin to run EC Classic Shootout 2000m

On 27 January EC are at it again as their series of 3 Classic Shootout races this year kicks of with a very big bang. Hoerskool Garsfontein is the host school next week at this big high school meeting which will take place at the Pilditch Stadium. Hosted by Backtrack together with EC, they are known for putting together very classy fields every year to compete in their Shootout races. At this meeting there will be a 2000m for men and a 300m for men.

Last year they had their very first international athlete Tuomo Salonen from Finland competing in the 600m. This year two times World Champs finalist Mekonnen Gebremedhin (Ethiopia) who is currently situated in Potch training with the Potch Project will compete in the 2000m. This is a world-class athlete who has claimed a World Indoor bronze medal and has been in an Olympic final. He has won a Diamond League race and an All-Africa Games gold medal. Gebremedhin is no slouch and walks around with a 3:31.45 pb in he 1500m, 3:49.7 mile and a 7:41.59 in the 3000m.

Also coming to compete from the Potch Project is Rantso Mokopane who in 2014 won the SA Senior, SA u/23 and USSA 3000m Steeple chase titles. He has also represented SA at the World XC champs. Joining him will be Tseiso Moketso otherwise known as Max.

Flying all the way up from Cape Town is UWC’s latest middle distance star athlete Anthony Timoteus hailing from the Cape Ethiopians training group. Timoteus attended the Eagles Academy last year where he claimed the Tomtom Future star title. Tomtom also to be a title sponsor of this race. Timoteus holds a 1500m personal best of 3:46.57 and runs a 8:23.49 on the 3000. Also coming all the way from Cape Town is Endurocad athlete Sibusiso Madikizela, more know to be a road athlete these days, Mandikizela boasts with a 14:12.66 on the 5000m.

Also present in this race will be two of SA’s top 1500m runners Folavio Sehohle (3:39.41) and Pharsons Magagane(3:37.97). Sehohle fresh out of the Hendrik Ramaala training camp and Magagane straight out of the Eden Streetmile series in Cape Town both look in great form. A possible 3rd SA great in the 1500m may also show his face. You will just have to be there to see.

Our second title sponsor of the race KPMG will also send a strong contingency from their own Elite club including the 3:42.47 fifteen hundred runner Clinton Swanepoel, 2015 World Champs Steeple Chase representative Tumisang Monnatlala and then Ikageng Goarekwa and Dylan Swanepoel who both was recently chosen for the SA team to compete at African champs in XC.

The Mighty Elephant Tlou Seloba will look the bring these athletes through the first 1000m in 2:30-2:35 as pacemaker of the race.