Tshite still hungry for more after running 3:32 to move up to second on SA All-Time 1500m list

South African middle distance sensation Tshepo Tshite says consistency is the key behind his excellent performances on track this season. This comes after, Tshite produced a classic run of 3:32:68 to come third in Stanislas Meeting on Sunday in France. The race was won by World Junior Champion Reynold Cheruiyot (3:31.60) while Isaac Naber took second position (3:31.67). Tshite's time which is a his second personal best in three months, is the second fastest time ever run by a South African over the distance, with only Johan Cronje's national record of 3:31:93 set in 2013 in Italy being faster.

The 26-year-old multiple national 800m Champion has been in form of his life since switching from two laps to the metric mile. In April, he starred alongside Ryan Mphahlele in a breathtaking race at the Cape Milers/ Endurocad Invitational Meet where he claimed second behind King Ryan in 3:33:00 as Mphahlele claimed an impressive time of 3:32:90 to clinch the race. Speaking to #TheTopRunner, the man who is coached by Samuel Sepeng says his preparations in the lead up to the race told him that he was ready to run fast.

Tshite is in great form and says his aim is to reach the finals at the World Championships in Budapest. Photo Credit: Supplied.

"Firstly, I'm very happy with the way I ran in the race. Going into the race, I had a feeling that I'm going to clock a fast time. So what happened during the race didn't come as a surprise to me," said an elated Tshite. "Remember, in my first European race of the season (in Poland on the 6th June), I managed to run 3:34 which was something I planned. So I told myself, I must keeping clocking 3:34 and below. I wasn't frustrated with the results from the first race. Then in France, everything worked according to what I predicted and the best happened. In the end, I produced the second fastest time by South African, which is still something that excites me," shared the man who hails from Moruleng in the North West province.

Tshite with coach Samuel Sepeng at the Greenpoint Stadium. It has been a happy hunting ground for Tshite who has run 3:33 and 3:35 on that track in Cape Town in 2023. Photo Credit: MWMedia.

With Tshite having already qualified for the World Championships which take place in the Hungarian capital of Budapest in August, his aim is to remain consistent in order to fulfil his dream of reaching the final. "The important thing for me now is to be consistent. In the past, I battled to find my feet over the 800m distance because my performances were not consistent" said the Xcel Running Club top runner. "In order to achieve that I must get enough competition especially against the top athletes in the world. There is one race left for me here in Europe ( Ostrava Golden Spikes on 27th June in Czech Republic) and I'm hoping to be at my best. The ultimate goal is to line-up in the finals at the World Champs finals in August. Then in finals, anything can happen."