Slater Black, Jessica Booth take River Mile honours

New champions were crowned at the 95th running of The Nelson Mandela Bay River Mile held at Sundays River on Sunday with 17-year-old Pearson scholar Slater Black and Collegiate's Jessica Booth, 16, coming out tops.

For Black, who had rushed back from a water polo tournament in East London, it was a particularly significant win with mom, Joannie Coetzer, a former double River Mile champion having last won the race 23 years ago.

With a tough start for the swimmers in the pushing tide it was a tussle for the front runners all the way and only as they hit the riverbank at the finish line did Black take the advantage with a quick up and run across the line. 

Just under 1,000 participants enjoyed the perfect weather at Colchester in an event run by local non-profit events company Zsports Events NPC, on behalf of Nelson Mandela Bay Aquatics, and hosted by the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.

Booth topped off a great season so far with her maiden River Mile win, coming out the water ahead of Hannah Counihan and Lize Muller, and ensuring her club, Infinity, retained the club trophy.

After having lost out in the last five years, PEA were back in winning form in the men's race. 

The youngest swimmers in the Mile this year were Chase Jopson (6), and Jenna Thornton (7) while the oldest were Mally Richards (86) and Margaret Skinner (74).

Age also favoured the Blu_Smooth wetsuit Mile participants with Mark Edge showing his decades of experience to win ahead of Rob Smith and Craig Black while Rhiannon Farrell won the women's wetsuit Mile from Catherine Stark and Melanie Darlow.

Disabled athletes Charl Parkin and Lesley Lee successfully defended their titles in the Oracle Media Disabled Mile. 

This year's new initiative of a R10,000 prize for the school with the most entries saw Collegiate Junior winning with just one entrant more than Herbert Hurd and six more than Clarendon Park. 

Results are available on the River Mile website and the event will feature on SuperSport Showcase next month.

Pictures are available for download on the River Mile facebook page.

- Zsports Media