JOHANNESBURG, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 - South Africa’s 3000m steeple chase champion Reuben Ramolefi faces a huge challenge when he attempts to retain the 3000 metres title at the Yellow Pages Series Meeting in Secunda, Mpumalanga on Friday.

Traditionally the event attracts the largest number of entries. This year is no exception as 78 runners from across the country will be in action in this event.

“My goal is to win the race by leading from the front as I did last year. This event gives me a good build up to my speciality which is the 3000m steeplechase. I aim to better my career best of 8 minutes and two seconds (8:02) in this race,” says Ramolefi.

Although this is the first meeting of the series, spectators can expect fireworks as there are athletes who are determined to make an early impact in the Series. The South African and Southern African Region Cross Country Champion Boy Soke is set to be among Ramolefi’s main challengers

“This race will be a tough one for me which is just what I need to gauge my speed. I aim to retain the senior men’s title at the Southern African Cross Country Championships in Zambia. That is all part of my preparations for the World Cross country Championships in Edinburgh,Scotland in March,” says Soke.

Besides these leading national athletes there are many young distance runners in the race. They aim to demonstrate they have improved after attending Training Camps at the High Performance Centre, at the University of Pretoria in Tshwane.

Prominent among them is 18 year old Folavia Sehohle who won the San Silvestre Road race in Maputo Mozambique. Others are Siyabonga Nkonde (KwaZulu-Natal) and Vaal Triangle’s Esau Nkosi. In form training partners Xolisa Tysali and Mzwandile Mhlandleni who finished first and third respectively in the junior men’s category at the Nedbank Matha Half Marathon in Tshwane are also vying for the limelight. The program is designed to improve the quality of South Africa’s middle and long distance runners.

Meanwhile although a smaller field of 30 runners the women’s version of the 3000m will also see experienced campaigners being challenged by up and coming runners. National 3000m steeplechase and record holder Teboho Masehla has no illusion of what lies ahead.

“I aim to improve my national record substantially in order to qualify for the Beijing Olympics. To achieve this I must have the basic speed which I will need to combine with my hurdling technique,” says Masehla.

Among her more experience challengers will be Nolene Conrad and Violet Raseboya. The spirited challenge from younger contenders will come from Patience Khumalo, Nandi Meyer, Praxedis Dim, Selina Mofokeng, Destiny Titus and Mpumalanga’s Noria Sibanda.

Meanwhile, the Yellow Pages Series growing international reputation has attracted some of the continent’s finest athletes. Botswana’s All Africa Games 400m champion California Molefe dons his spikes for the one lap race in Secunda.

“This is an important race for me as I am preparing for the World Indoor Championships in Valencia, Spain in March. I have been training at the High Performance Centre since November and I want to see where I stand before I begin with the indoor competitions,” saidf Molefe. He faces credible challengers in Pieter Koekemoer and Mozambique’s Kurt Couto the World Student Games gold and silver medallists respectively.