By Brook Genene Ruga, bird story agency

Before a race, Ethiopian runner Elsabet Amare tries to stay positive. As she prepares to represent a nation known for its great runners, she hopes the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will offer another opportunity to win medals.

The 17-year-old has already shown what she can do on a big stage. At an under-18 competition in Nigeria in 2025, she waited until the final moments of the 800 metres to make her move.

World Athletics described her finish as “a tactical masterclass”. Elsabet sat behind Kenya’s Vicody Chemutai until the final 200 metres, then accelerated to win in 2:02.96.

“I know I have a strong finishing ability, and that is what I utilised,” she said. Elsabet had won silver in the 1,500 metres at the same competition before lining up for the 800 metres.

“I was determined to win Gold in the 800 meter,” she explained.

Missing out on gold in the first race motivated her to seize the next opportunity, just as she has done before while pursuing her passion for running.

Elsabet grew up in Injibara, a town in the Awi zone of Ethiopia’s Amhara region, about 440 kilometres from Addis Ababa. She credits her father with sparking her interest in the sport.

“I started running because of my father. He loved athletics. He used to follow the sport through reading magazines and watching TV,” she said.

Her father encouraged her to enter the sport, she said, but never forced her to run. Inspired by him, she began competing at school and represented her school in tournaments.

A high school history teacher, her father never taught her in class, but he told her about Ethiopia’s great athletes.

“He used to watch the likes of Haile Gebrselassie, Kenenisa Bekele, Tirunesh Dibaba and Meseret Defar,” she said.

“I learned about the athletes at school and read about them in our text book.”

One athlete in particular captured her attention.

“Meseret was the one athlete I used to look up to growing up,” Elsabet said. She admired Defar’s resilience and desire to win and wanted to be like her.

Elsabet also speaks of the support young athletes received from their community in Injibara.

“Growing up, the community supported all of the young athletes who aspired to make it in the big stages. We had a project where I used to train, and projects like ours used to be supported,” she said.

Her teachers helped her follow her dream too. Sport was her favourite subject, and she pursued athletics even though balancing training and schoolwork was difficult.

“My teachers used to support me once they knew I had started running. They used to allow me to go to tournaments and helped me to catch up with my schoolwork when I came back,” she explained.

Ethiopia’s athletics team has been training for the past six months, she said. “With God’s grace we expect to be successful in Dakar.”

As she looks ahead to the Games, Elsabet says the support around her has helped her feel confident.

“My coaches always support and motivate me. I am well prepared but not stressed. I will give it my best.”

She hopes support for young runners in her home region will continue.

“In the region I grew up, there is support, but that needs to continue. There are so many talented runners there.”

Just as Meseret Defar inspired her, Elsabet wants her own journey to inspire the athletes who come after her.

The Dakar Youth Olympic Games athletics programme starts on Sunday.

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Ivorian sprinter Bosson Greccy Hillary discovered athletics during a school physical education test. Now, as she prepares to compete in the 100 metres at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the 17-year-old is working toward a dream of making her mark on the world stage.

By Akoi Mel Herve, bird story agency

A school physical education test set Bosson Greccy Hillary on a path to the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games. Now the 17-year-old Ivorian sprinter is preparing to compete in the 100 metres, with a dream of one day writing her name in the history of athletics.

Between training sessions, the demands of university and the pressure of competition, she is moving forward with determination, supported by those around her and driven by a passion she discovered almost by chance.

“I discovered athletics in ninth grade during physical education tests. My teacher told me, ‘You are, you are fast, you have an athlete’s build, so you can do it.’ That is how I got into it. And I am quite motivated. What motivates me is that, at the beginning, things were a little complicated, difficult, but I tell myself that I absolutely want to put my name in the history of athletics worldwide,” she says.

Her journey has been built step by step. After making her debut in youth championships, Hillary joined a training group before moving to the athletics training centre at the National Institute of Youth and Sports (INJS). She has also participated in the School Games in Algeria, as well as national championships and other competitions that have helped her gain experience.

For Hillary, the event carries an immense dream: winning a gold medal.

“I really want to win an Olympic medal, that is to say, the gold medal. I want Côte d’Ivoire to have its first Youth Olympic medal. And I also want to make a name for myself, as I always say, to put my name in the book of athletics.”

Her ambition is supported by a family bond that plays a central role in her journey. Before every race, her father’s encouragement reassures her, particularly when the pressure builds.

“Throughout my career, my father has always been there. He is the one who supports me the most. He tends to tell me, ‘Go ahead, you can do it. Hard work is the only thing that pays off.’ He talks to me before every race, which has helped me become who I am today.”

The young sprinter’s development does not take place solely on the track. Having earned her baccalaureate, she is now in her first year at university. Balancing classes, training and everyday life requires careful organisation.

“To balance training, my studies and my daily life, I organise myself and try to manage my time well. I give my best during training while remaining serious about my studies. It is not always easy, but sometimes sacrifices have to be made,” she explains.

For her coach, Audrey Guetty, this dual commitment is an important part of Hillary’s development. At the training centre, continuing her education is a priority, just as much as improving her athletic performance.

“This year, she is in her first year at university, to show that, despite sport, she was able to obtain her baccalaureate. So, sport and studies are possible together, and she is doing very well,” Guetty says.

On the sporting front, managing stress remains a challenge. Guetty says Hillary tends to talk a lot when she is nervous, a reaction that can be misunderstood by those who do not know her well.

“The main challenge she must overcome is her stress. If you see her with her friends, you will see her talking a lot and pacing around. Some people will say, ‘This girl doesn’t know where she is going.’ But in reality, when she is stressed, all she does is talk. Stress is important in sport, but the good kind of stress, not the bad stress.”

The coaching team is also working on her start, a technical aspect that required adjustments. According to Guetty, recent training sessions have shown clear improvement. The immediate goal is to help Hillary beat her personal record of 12.41 seconds, with guidance and exercises tailored to her needs.

For Guetty, the Youth Olympic Games should be a stepping stone. Taking part could open up opportunities for Hillary to compete at the World Championships, on the Diamond League circuit and, eventually, at the senior Olympic Games.

In Dakar, Hillary will carry her ambitions, her father’s support and the work of her coaching team. At 17, she knows that the road to the top requires patience and sacrifice. Her dream is already taking shape: to improve, break her personal record and one day write her name in the history of athletics.

The Dakar Youth Olympic Games athletics programme starts on Sunday.

bird story agency

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GoTyme Running Club athlete, Rowhaldo Ratz, continued his recent good form with an emphatic victory in the annual Axxess Landmarks Half Marathon, in association with Princeton Security and Sportsmans Warehouse, run in cool conditions in Cape Town yesterday morning, while South Africa’s ‘golden girl’ Gerda Steyn romped home to victory in the women’s competition.

The race celebrates part of Cape Town’s heritage and takes runners past 25 iconic landmarks and institutions in and around Rondebosch and Newlands.

Ratz finished third behind Kenyan Stephen Kangethe in the Nelson Mandela Slave Route Half Marathon in the ‘Mother City’ two weeks back and third behind his teammate, William Kaptein in last year’s Landmarks, but was unbeatable yesterday.

Ratz raced home across the finish line at the Western Province Cricket Club in Rondebosch in 1:04:23, 37 seconds ahead of visiting Maxed Elite athlete, Makwande Mngcwengi who outsprinted Kaptein by 1 second in a battle for the minor podium positions.

Ratz’ time was 12 seconds inside Kaptein’s course record, set last year, but will not qualify as a race record due to a marshalling snaffle which resulted in a short course. The error did not impact the competition for podium honours, with all athletes following the same route.

Steyn was in a class of her own, racing into an early lead. She was two minutes up on Cape Town’s ‘running doctor’ Ebeth Marais and opened another minute before racing home in tenth place overall in 1:14:24.

“The race went very well and a good way to start off the month – a very good race!  It was very tactical at the start,” commented Ratz.

“I think the most difficult climb was around 8km, up to the University of Cape Town campus, but I enjoy climbing and this was easier than the ‘Koeksister Hill’ we ran at the Slave Route Half Marathon two weeks ago!

“I love this route, especially running around all the corners and off-road alongside the canals. And it helped running with my clubmate William (Kaptein) in the beginning. We train together and it’s always nice to run against William – he’s a gutsy runner and well done to him for placing third.

“I think I’m more or less done with road racing for this year – it’s time to take a bit of a break before the track season.”

Pausing between willingly responding to endless requests for selfies, Steyn expressed delight at the Landmarks race.

“It was a wonderful morning – I loved the race,” Steyn said. “It’s quite an iconic race and with a few of my friends running, the atmosphere was just wonderful. I hope to be back!

“It was quite a winding route with a number of hills and you run along the foot and cycle paths rather than along the main roads, and there are quite a few tunnels to run through. But that made it all the more interesting.

“Running up to the university reminded me of the Two Oceans (which finishes at UCT). At that stage I was running with (RCS Gugs athlete) Simphiwe who has often run with me in the Two Oceans Marathon. That was really special and gave me an extra bout of energy.”

Based for several months of the year in their cottage in the French Alps, Steyn has run on mountain trails for many years, but stepped up to race a number of high profile trail events for the first time this year.

“Moving to trail has been really challenging – it wasn’t straightforward for me. I had run on trails quite often, but racing on the trails was a new experience.  But I’ve had a wonderful year – I ticked all the boxes at Two Oceans and Comrades and was able to try out something new in trail running. 

“In the beginning, at Sierra Zinal (31km), I didn’t reach the target I had set myself but later on I became more comfortable and achieved third place in the Jungfrau Half Marathon. That will give me something to build on in the years to come.

“My main goal for next year will again by Comrades and Two Oceans and towards the end of the year I hope to try a few more trail races again.”

Results

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