Adding to the electrifying momentum of SA athletes’ fire on the global stage is Tshepo Tshite, who didn’t just break the national 1500m record at the Paris Diamond League; he shattered it with spectacular athletic prowess!
Paris, France (23 June 2025) – It’s almost hard to keep up with South African athletes right now! They’re dominating the tracks, taking the podiums and setting new records at an incredible rate, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
The 11-year-old national 1500m record was South African middle-distance runner Tshepo Tshite’s one to shatter after delivering a spectacular performance at the Paris Diamond League on Friday night with a time of 3:31.35.
According to Sport South Africa, the 28-year-old, already the holder of South Africa’s indoor records in both the 1500m and the mile, improved on the longstanding outdoor mark of 3:31.93 set by Johan Cronje in 2013.
Tshite’s run placed him ninth overall in a highly competitive field, but the result marked a significant personal milestone and a new benchmark in South African middle-distance athletics.
The race itself was won by France’s Azeddine Habz took the win in 3:27.49, Athletics South Africa confirms.
While Tshite didn’t secure a podium win, his time represents clear progress and underlines his consistency and continuous improvement in his time. The performance also adds an outdoor national title to his growing list of achievements.
“As we congratulate Tshite for achieving his feat of breaking a record, we also take the opportunity to encourage all athletes to drastically improve their performances in order to reach podium positions,” said Athletics South Africa (ASA) president James Moloi.
“A national record is always an achievement to be celebrated, as it becomes a new benchmark for others. We, therefore, congratulate Tshite, his coach and all of his support staff,” added Moloi.
Tshepo’s achievement is a testament to the relentless spirit and growing prowess of South African athletics.
The next leg of the Diamond League series takes place on 5 July in Eugene, Oregon, where South Africa’s top athletes will once again look to build on current form heading into the latter half of the season.
Sources: Sport South Africa | Athletics South Africa
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