Hoërskool Stellenbosch has opened its new multimillion-rand World Athletics Class 2 certified track, built with funding from the Athletics Cycling Education (ACE) Trust.

Architect Sam Pellissier may not disclose the funders behind the trust, noting only that it is the same body that operates a similar facility at the University of Pretoria –the very same one that has already delivered a number of Olympic medallists for South Africa in sports such as swimming and athletics.

Class 1 tracks typically host Olympic and World Athletics events and have two tartan tracks – one for warming up and one for events.

Class 2 tracks have only a tartan event track.

The Class 2 track at Hoërskool Stellenbosch is also a double radius track, which means that it can accommodate other sporting codes on the infield.

All international athletics tracks have to be certified by an international team every three years, with the inside lane precisely 400 m in distance, and the tolerance on this no more than 0.25 mm.

A father-and-son team, who specialises in certifying World Athletics athletic tracks, flew in from Scotland to Stellenbosch to measure and paint the facility.

The team also did the measurements for the field-event areas, such as pole vault and long jump.

The tartan used – in three layers – is a German product.

The track was built by a local construction team, in a project that is somewhat similar to constructing a road.

There are roughly 20 World Athletics certified tracks in South Africa. However, not all of them are smart tracks such as the one at Hoërskool Stellenbosch.

The ACE Trust has invested in technology that gathers two-dimensional data on any athlete carrying a tracking device that communicates with four data collection points – at 100 m intervals – on the track.

With the aid of software, this technology maps the athlete’s performance, telling a 400 m sprinter, for example, if they are too fast on the first 100 m.

It is possible to upgrade the system to three dimensions, says Pellissier. This would allow coaches to, for example, know if a 100 m athlete rises too quickly from the starting blocks, or if they stay too low for too long down the track.

The use of Wavelength technology is a first on any athletics track in sub-Saharan Africa, adds Pellissier.

The inside of the track sports a PVC curb with LED lights that can be set to light up as the athlete progresses around the track.

The speed at which the LED lights turn on is linked to a predetermined pace the athlete hopes to achieve, or to a school, event, provincial, national or world record the athlete is chasing.

The new track also has a timing system linked to the starting blocks to determine if someone has jumped the starter gun; a laser at the finish line to determine the winner; and a camera to allow for a true photo finish.

“The system takes the human element out of the race,” says Pellissier. “You can now run an athletics event with four officials instead of 11 time-keepers.”

The field events also have laser technology to automatically and accurately determine distance at events such as javelin and long jump.

The track also has its own WiFi network, with the lighting system the newest LED technology, operated via cell phone.

Apart from being much more economical than traditional flood lights, the LED lights can operate at various levels of illumination, while it is also possible to switch on only certain sections, such as the home straight.

More than a Track
Hoërskool Stellenbosch head Theo Pellissier says the construction of the athletics track was coupled to the expansion of the boarding house and school hall to accommodate ACE Trust athletes, as well as the construction of a gym to allow for the full development of the athlete corps – all as part of the donation to the school.

He adds that the State school has received the blessing for the expansion programme from the Western Cape Education Department.

ACE Trust representatives travel around South Africa, scouting particularly rural schools to look for financially disadvantaged children with athletics and mountain biking potential.

The names involved in the scouting and training programmes are South African sporting legends such as Zola Budd and Elana Meyer, to name but a few.

Meyer then also runs the ACE Trust’s Stellenbosch programme.

Students are offered fully paid bursaries to complete their secondary school career at Hoërskool Stellenbosch.

Academic achievement is, however, placed front and centre of the programme, notes Theo, with the trust employing more than ten tutors to support bursary learners.

He emphasises that the programme also enrolls existing learners from Hoërskool Stellenbosch, and not only bursary students.

“We are basically duplicating the Tuks model,” he adds.

The ACE-sponsored TuksSport High School is registered with the Gauteng Education Department and tuition is in English. It opened its doors in 2014.

The school is open to elite athletes from all sporting codes, including swimming, boys and girls’ football, triathlon, golf, cricket, gymnastics, soccer and judo.

Athletics, track in particular, is, however, the dominant sport code.

Last year, the ACE Trust funded the development of a solar energy solution for the school and also built a cycling pump track on the University of Pretoria sports grounds.

A new dining hall will be built this year.

Former students include Prudence Sekgodiso and Viwe Jingqi.

Originally from Medingen, in Limpopo, 13-year-old Sekgodiso joined TuksSport High School in 2016 having never been formally coached. 

Since matriculating in 2021 she has gone from strength to strength as an 800m specialist, and now ranks amongst the top five women in the world in this discipline.

Sekgodiso was an 800 m finalist in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Jingqi is a sprinter who hails from Ngcobo, in the Eastern Cape. 

She joined the programme in 2020 and now holds numerous records, including the under-18 national record in the 200 m.