The South African 100m-hurdles champion, Marione Fourie, managed to do something no other local hurdler had been able to do. That is to run a sub 13 seconds race in South Africa.

The Tuks Sports Science student won the 100m-hurdles in 12.86s during the 2022 Gauteng North Athletics Championships held at the Bestmed TuksAthletics Stadium on Saturday, 12 March. Unfortunately, the wind from behind was 2.2m/s which means her time is not official. Still, Fourie can be satisfied knowing she is only the third local female athlete to dip under 13 seconds.

The respected athletics statistician, Danie Cornelius, thinks if the weather allowed for it, Fourie could have clocked 12.90s. 

The way Fourie keeps on getting faster, the save money would be to bet that it is only a matter of time before she is officially quicker than 13 seconds. Last year, her personal best time was 13.47s. Three weeks ago, she ran 13.29s, and now she clocked a wind-assisted 12.86s. 

The Tuks student makes no secret about what her goal is. It is to be faster than 13 seconds.

Corien Botha was the first South African female 100m-hurdler to break through the "magical" 13 seconds barrier. She did so in 1998 in Latvia. It took 20 years before another South African athlete did so. Tuks's Rikenette Steenkamp ran 12.99s in 2017 in the Cezh Republic. She set a new national record running 12.81s in Switzerland a year later.  

After crossing the finish line, Fourie admits going through a rollercoaster of emotions. 

"I was shocked when I saw my time. I did not expect it. I was hoping to run 13.10s. That one minute I was a sub 13 seconds athlete felt amazing. Then came the bad news. The wind from behind was too strong. I was devastated. It means the challenge to run sub 13 seconds still remains. I am up to the challenge."

According to Fourie, she needs to work more on her speed and improve the rhythm going over the hurdles. She is racing at the Athletics Grand Prix in Bloemfontein on Wednesday, 16 March. 

Tuks's Taylon Bieldt was undoubtedly the other "star" during the Gauteng North Championships. She finished second in the 100m-hurdles clocking 13.09s. Officially her best time is 13.33 seconds which she ran last year.  On Friday, she was second in the 400m-hurdles running 55.91s setting a new personal best. It is an amazing feat. In South African female athletics history, very few have managed to be competitive in both events. 

Ina van Rensburg clocked 13.09s in 1986 in the 100m-hurdles. While her personal best time in the 400m-hurdles was 55.81s. Surita Febbraio-Loots ran 13.10s in the 100m-hurdles in 2001 and 54.05s in the 400m-hurdles (2003).

Bieldt laughs when asked which she considers being her favourite.

"If you ask my mom who coaches me, she will say it is the 100m-hurdles, but I have told her I am not ready to commit to one event at the moment. The day I get to run the perfect 400m-hurdles race, I will surprise myself and many others."

Bieldt is also racing in Bloemfontein on Wednesday. She still has to decide which event. A lot apparently depends on how she feels.