The Klein Karoo Street Mile finishes in front of the school where South Africas first dream mile athlete, De Villiers Lamprecht attended high school. Oudtshoorn Boys High is now the CP Nel Museum. Lamprecht was head boy at Boys High in 1960 and ran his first dream mile in 13 November 1964 as a student of Stellenbosch University on the famous Coetzenburg track. This happened 10 years after Roger Bannister became the first man to break the 4 minute barrier. Lamprecht was then the 16th athlete in the world to achieve this milestone but the first to do this barefoot (maybe that is why Zola Budd, another Free State athlete, also started running barefoot!).

Lamprecht later became a professor at the medical school of Free State University. Oom Div, as he was lovingly known to our athletes shared his knowledge of athletics and in the process helped many an athlete realize his or her potential. Some of athletes he coached were:

• Danie Malan: World Record in 1973 in 1000m in time of 2:16,0
• Ferdie le Grange: first South African to break 2:20 in the marathon – he ran 2:12:47 in 1974 which placed him 7th on the world’s all time list.
• Ilze De Kock-Wicksell: first South African to break 2:00 on the 800m in 1983
• Both of Johan Cronjé’s parents Danie and Sarina (neé Mostert) Cronjé (who ran our first sub 4:00 Klein Karoo Street Mile in 2014 with a time of 3:57,7) were coached by Oom Div.

So remember to look to the right and notice Boys High and think of Oom Div when you cross the finish line – you never know where your feet will take you!!!