"It was really satisfying" - Bekker back to his best with new 800m PB
Michael Bekker announced his return to form with a standout performance at the Curro Podium North meeting on September 19 at Pilditch Stadium, underscoring his status as one of South Africa's brightest middle distance prospects. Hoërskool Zwartkop's Bekker clocked a blistering 3:51.96 to win the U17 boys' 1 500m, recording the fastest time across all age groups at the event which welcomed schools from across Gauteng, the North West Province and Mpumalanga.
He narrowly missed his lifetime best of 3:51.52, set earlier this year at a Central Gauteng Athletics league meeting, by just 0.44 seconds as he outclassed a strong field that showcased some of the country's best middle-distance youth talent. The field included Tuks Sport duo Dawson Sambo and Bulela Mganu, as well as national U18 boys' 3 000m champion Tyran Brooks.
Bekker, who is coached by former national 800m sensation Michael van Aswegen, followed his 1 500m victory with another impressive performance in the 800m, finishing second behind Dawson (1:51.11) in a personal best of 1:52.91, improving his previous best of 1:53.97 by 1.06 seconds. Still reflecting on a disappointing cross-country season, Bekker who won gold and silver at the 2025 AUSC Region 5 Youth Games in Namibia, credited his hard work for helping him deliver two strong performances.
"It was really satisfying, especially after having a frustrating cross-country season. Finishing first in the 1 500m felt really good and it gave me a lot of confidence to run the 800m. It showed me that the hard work I've been putting in is starting to pay off, and it was a reminder that one difficult season doesn't define you," he told #TheTopRunner.
Alongside Bintou Camara who broke a 46-year-old 200m record, Pretoria Boys High's Cody Benn who produced one of the meeting's biggest upsets when he defeated Kamohelo Letebele and Khotso Motsamai in the U15 boys' 200m and Megan Maree who defied expectations in the U17 girls' 100m hurdles, beating overwhelming favourite Megan Nieman of Menlopark in 13.25 seconds - Bekker was one of the standout performers at a meeting that more than doubled in size from its inaugural edition in 2023, reflecting the depth of talent emerging through school athletics.
A total of 1 058 primary school athletes from 33 schools participated in the competition, producing 89 records across the primary school events. Laerskool Lynnwood topped the primary school standings. The high school competition attracted 2 224 athletes from 69 schools. Die Hoërskool Menlopark finished first overall, followed by Curro Hazeldean in second place.
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