Matthews Temane
Encyclopedia
Matthews Temane is a South Africa
n middle
distance athlete, who excelled over both middle distance and long distance running, winning some 17 national athletics titles from 1982 to 1989, including seven 5000 metre title, four cross country
titles, three half marathon titles, and three 10 km titles and who unofficially bettered the World half marathon record.
in Potchefstroom in March 1983 in a time of 3:55.4 at 1350 metres altitude and won an epic duel in July 1987 against the then South African marathon record holder, Zithulele Sinqe
in East London in July 1987 in an unofficial world best world record time of 60:11.
, in Gauteng Province. Like many young boys, as a child growing up in Hammanskraal, Temane's initial goal was to become a professional soccer player. In pursuit of a soccer career, he trained with the police recruits at the local Police Training Academy during their physical training sessions. It was nevertheless soon clear that Temane's greatest sporting talent lay in distance running. Over and above his enormous natural talent, Temane was building up a substantial endurance base, running a total of 15 km to and from high school every school day after moving to high school in 1977. He was encouraged in this by his mother, who had shown promise as an athlete herself as a young woman, and sensed her son's great promise as a distance runner. It was not long before the young Temane had the opportunity to test himself against South Africa's best distance runners.
, who in 1977 had been the first black South African athlete to obtain South African national sporting colours, known as Springbok Colours
over 5000 metres. The victory occurred at an annual athletics meeting held then in Mmabatho
then located in the homeland of Bophuthatswana
, now the North West Province between school athletes and athletes from the gold mines, which was used by the mines to recruit promising young athletes into their ranks.
, the mine's recreation officer was on hand to witness Temane's impressive athletic potential. This was the start of long and extremely successful athlete-coach relationship which almost immediately bore fruit when Temane won the South African 5000 metres title three months later in Stellenbosch April 1982 in 13:50.02 beating Gibeon Moshaba into second place. Such was the closeness of the relationship between the two men that when Temane decided to leave the Kloof Gold Mine for Anglo Gold Ashanti's Vaal Reefs Gold Mine to secure his employment future with a job as a recreation officer, he was accompanied by Turnbull in order that the athlete-coach relationship could continue.
and Matthews Motshwarateu
out of South Africa on athletics scholarship at American universities, and bored by the lack of challenge posed his South African rivals over 5000 metres in apartheid-era sporting isolation, Temane started competing in the 1500 metres
and mile at the end of 1982. At a specially staged mile race against Johan Fourie at the Ken McArthur Oval in Potchefstroom in March 1983, Temane scored a shock victory over Fourie, outkicking Fourie to win in 3:55.4. Temane also scored street mile victories over Fourie in Port Elizabeth in 1983 and on his birthday on 14 December 1986, when he won in an impressive 3:46.
most of the way, and pulled him to a South African 5000 metre record of 13:25.15, and his half marathon world best in East London in July 1987. On the latter occasion the race had been preceded by an unpredented media build up and the nail-biting contest between Temane and rival, Zithulele Sinqe
, more than lived up to the pre-race publicity. Both athletes were credited with a time of 60:11, with Temane the winner by the barest of margins, well under the then world-best of 60:43 of Kenya's Mike Musyoki, who had been a teammate of Matthews Motshwarateu
at the University of Texas at El Paso
.
, who had been been living in seclusion for 25 years at his ancestral village of Dithakong
, in the North West Province, near Kuruman
.
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
n middle
Middle distance track event
Middle distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle distance event. The 880 yard run, or half mile, was the forebear to the...
distance athlete, who excelled over both middle distance and long distance running, winning some 17 national athletics titles from 1982 to 1989, including seven 5000 metre title, four cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
titles, three half marathon titles, and three 10 km titles and who unofficially bettered the World half marathon record.
Career Highlights
For many athletics enthusiasts Temane epitomised South African distance running in the 1980s. His career was characterised by great versatility and constant racing, as his situation in apartheid-era South Africa, made international competition in his prime impossible. His career highlights include a famous mile victory over his world class countryman, Johan FourieJohan Fourie
Johan Fourie is a South African middle-distance athlete who was one of the world's leading 1500m/mile exponents in the 1980s but was prevented from competing internationally in his prime by reason of the sporting sanctions imposed on South Africa in condemnation of the policy of apartheid.Fourie's...
in Potchefstroom in March 1983 in a time of 3:55.4 at 1350 metres altitude and won an epic duel in July 1987 against the then South African marathon record holder, Zithulele Sinqe
Zithulele Sinqe
Zithulele Sinqe is a South African long distance athlete. In the 1980s, and despite restrictions under Apartheid, Sinqe emerged as one of the leading marathon and half-marathon athletes in the world....
in East London in July 1987 in an unofficial world best world record time of 60:11.
Personality and Running profile
Temane was possibly the most talented and versatile athlete in South African history. When tested in the laboratory of the Sports Science institute under Professor Tim Noakes in 1987, Temane's VO2 max was 78ml O2.kg.min; his running economy (51.1 ml O2.kg.min at 17 km.hr) was the same at that reported for Frank Shorter, and he was able to continue running for over a minute longer than any other athlete tested at the laboratory on the maximal treadmill test, including his rival, and world class miler, Johan Fourie. For a distance runner, Temane had a very fast kick which allowed him to win many of his races in the final stages. Despite his numerous national titles and fame as a leading athlete he was always a humble and modest person. Observers of the sport have also commented on the strong sense of spirituality projected by him and his almost saintly demeanour.Origins and early sporting history
Temane was one of seven children born into a family of modest means in Hammanskraal, 30 km, north of PretoriaPretoria
Pretoria is a city located in the northern part of Gauteng Province, South Africa. It is one of the country's three capital cities, serving as the executive and de facto national capital; the others are Cape Town, the legislative capital, and Bloemfontein, the judicial capital.Pretoria is...
, in Gauteng Province. Like many young boys, as a child growing up in Hammanskraal, Temane's initial goal was to become a professional soccer player. In pursuit of a soccer career, he trained with the police recruits at the local Police Training Academy during their physical training sessions. It was nevertheless soon clear that Temane's greatest sporting talent lay in distance running. Over and above his enormous natural talent, Temane was building up a substantial endurance base, running a total of 15 km to and from high school every school day after moving to high school in 1977. He was encouraged in this by his mother, who had shown promise as an athlete herself as a young woman, and sensed her son's great promise as a distance runner. It was not long before the young Temane had the opportunity to test himself against South Africa's best distance runners.
First major victory
He first came to prominence in April 1978 when, just a schoolboy, he defeated Matthews BatswadiMatthews Batswadi
Matthews Batswadi , a South African athlete, was the first black athlete to be awarded Springbok Colours, the name then given to South African national sporting colours, after the implementation of the policy of apartheid by the National Party in 1948.Batswadi received Springbok Colours in 1977...
, who in 1977 had been the first black South African athlete to obtain South African national sporting colours, known as Springbok Colours
Springbok colours
Springbok colours were historically awarded to South African teams and individuals representing the country in international competition. With the arrival of South Africa's new democratic regime in 1994, the name 'Springbok' was abandoned by the various control boards since they felt that the term...
over 5000 metres. The victory occurred at an annual athletics meeting held then in Mmabatho
Mmabatho
Mmabatho is the former capital of the North-West Province of South Africa. In the apartheid era, it was the capital of the former "Bantustan" of Bophuthatswana. Following the end of apartheid in 1994, Bophuthatswana was integrated into the newly established North-West Province and Mmabatho was...
then located in the homeland of Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana
Bophuthatswana , officially the Republic of Bophuthatswana was a Bantustan – an area set aside for members of a specific ethnicity – and nominal parliamentary democracy in the northwestern region of South Africa...
, now the North West Province between school athletes and athletes from the gold mines, which was used by the mines to recruit promising young athletes into their ranks.
Meets coach Richard Turnbull at Kloof Gold Mine
After leaving school, he joined the Kloof Gold Mine near Carletonville to become a full time athlete, at the end of 1981. At a race at the mine grounds on 1 January 1982, Richard TurnbullRichard Turnbull
Richard Duncan Turnbull is the Principal of Wycliffe Hall, Oxford, an Evangelical Anglican theological college which is part of the University of Oxford.-Biography:...
, the mine's recreation officer was on hand to witness Temane's impressive athletic potential. This was the start of long and extremely successful athlete-coach relationship which almost immediately bore fruit when Temane won the South African 5000 metres title three months later in Stellenbosch April 1982 in 13:50.02 beating Gibeon Moshaba into second place. Such was the closeness of the relationship between the two men that when Temane decided to leave the Kloof Gold Mine for Anglo Gold Ashanti's Vaal Reefs Gold Mine to secure his employment future with a job as a recreation officer, he was accompanied by Turnbull in order that the athlete-coach relationship could continue.
Challenges Johan Fourie over the mile
With his greatest fellow South African athletes Sydney MareeSydney Maree
Sydney Maree is a former middle distance runner who competed at the international level in the 1980s. He was born in South Africa, in the dusty mining town of Cullinan, east of Pretoria, but later became a U.S...
and Matthews Motshwarateu
Matthews Motshwarateu
Matthews Motshwarateu was a South African, track, cross country and road runner.Nicknamed 'Loop en Val' for his awkward style, he set a world 10 km road record of 27:59.3 in Purchase, New York, in 1980, and, Running for the University of Texas, at El Paso, won the 1981 NCAA Cross Country...
out of South Africa on athletics scholarship at American universities, and bored by the lack of challenge posed his South African rivals over 5000 metres in apartheid-era sporting isolation, Temane started competing in the 1500 metres
1500 metres
The 1,500-metre run is the premier middle distance track event.Aerobic endurance is the biggest factor contributing to success in the 1500 metres but the athlete also requires significant sprint speed.In modern times, the 1,500-metre run has been run at a pace faster than the average person could...
and mile at the end of 1982. At a specially staged mile race against Johan Fourie at the Ken McArthur Oval in Potchefstroom in March 1983, Temane scored a shock victory over Fourie, outkicking Fourie to win in 3:55.4. Temane also scored street mile victories over Fourie in Port Elizabeth in 1983 and on his birthday on 14 December 1986, when he won in an impressive 3:46.
Greatest Victories
After his mile victory over Fourie in 1983, Temane's career highlights were his hard fought victory over superb junior, Terry Thornton in Stellenbosch in November 1986, when Thornton led him and Xolile YawaXolile Yawa
Xolile Yawa is a retired athlete from South Africa. He specialised in long-distance running, including marathons....
most of the way, and pulled him to a South African 5000 metre record of 13:25.15, and his half marathon world best in East London in July 1987. On the latter occasion the race had been preceded by an unpredented media build up and the nail-biting contest between Temane and rival, Zithulele Sinqe
Zithulele Sinqe
Zithulele Sinqe is a South African long distance athlete. In the 1980s, and despite restrictions under Apartheid, Sinqe emerged as one of the leading marathon and half-marathon athletes in the world....
, more than lived up to the pre-race publicity. Both athletes were credited with a time of 60:11, with Temane the winner by the barest of margins, well under the then world-best of 60:43 of Kenya's Mike Musyoki, who had been a teammate of Matthews Motshwarateu
Matthews Motshwarateu
Matthews Motshwarateu was a South African, track, cross country and road runner.Nicknamed 'Loop en Val' for his awkward style, he set a world 10 km road record of 27:59.3 in Purchase, New York, in 1980, and, Running for the University of Texas, at El Paso, won the 1981 NCAA Cross Country...
at the University of Texas at El Paso
El Paso
El Paso, a city in the U.S. state of Texas, on the border with Mexico.El Paso may also refer to:-Geography:Colombia:* El Paso, CesarSpain:*El Paso, Santa Cruz de TenerifeUnited States:...
.
Career after retirement from elite competition
He has been a recreation officer at the Oppenheimer stadium at Anglo-Gold Ashanti's Vaal Reefs Gold Mine near Orkney in the North-West province since 1984. He keeps close contact with many of the leading South African athletes of his generation and in December 2009 he helped locate his namesake and former rival, Matthews BatswadiMatthews Batswadi
Matthews Batswadi , a South African athlete, was the first black athlete to be awarded Springbok Colours, the name then given to South African national sporting colours, after the implementation of the policy of apartheid by the National Party in 1948.Batswadi received Springbok Colours in 1977...
, who had been been living in seclusion for 25 years at his ancestral village of Dithakong
Dithakong
Dithakong is the name of a place east of Kuruman in the Northern Cape, South Africa, which had been a major destination for several of the earliest nineteenth century expditions from the Cape to the interior of the subcontinent...
, in the North West Province, near Kuruman
Kuruman
Kuruman is a town with 12,701 inhabitants in Northern Cape province of South Africa, famous for its scenic beauty and the Eye of Kuruman, a geological feature bringing water from deep underground to the surface in the Kalahari Desert....
.