Curro Podium Relay Series launches: a new chapter for South African school athletics
03 September 2025Curro Sport has announced the launch of the Curro Podium Relay Series, an exciting new addition to the country’s athletics calendar. Building on the success of the established Curro Podium series, the relay component adds a fresh dimension to one of South Africa’s most anticipated school sports events.
From vision to victory
The Curro Podium series has already produced national champions and record-breakers. Cindy van der Merwe, Portfolio Manager of Curro Sport, explained the thinking behind this next step: ‘Curro believes that every child matters. When we started with Podium, one of our goals was to create an event like today with the idea of creating a platform to produce champions. The thinking was that the athletes representing South Africa should be from the opportunities created by the Curro Podium. This has already happened with learners representing the country and breaking African Championship records.’
Why the focus on relays?
Relay racing highlights unity, trust, and seamless teamwork. While speed and strategy are key, the exchange of the baton demonstrates how four athletes can achieve more together. The Curro Podium Relay Series is designed to showcase these qualities and create opportunities for athletes across age groups.
Relay regional events
Two regional showcases will kick off the series:
- Southern regionals: Saturday, 28 November 2025 – Curro Durbanville, Durbanville
- Northern regionals: Friday, 3 December 2025 – Tuks Athletics Stadium, University of Pretoria
The relay format is open to primary schools, high schools, universities, and clubs, with boys, girls, and mixed teams across five age categories (U11, U13, U15, U17, and Open). Events will range from the explosive 4x100 m to the tactical 4x400 m, ending with the medley relays. Each 90-minute programme will feature 24 teams per category, ensuring competitive depth and dynamic racing.
Building on Podium’s success
The Curro Podium Relay Series adds to the broader Podium programme.
- Primary school Podium (Western Cape): Friday, 24 October 2025 – Dal Josafat Athletics Stadium, Paarl
- High school Podium regionals (regular series)
- Northern regionals: Friday, 19 September 2025 – Pilditch Stadium, Tshwane
- Southern regionals: Saturday, 25 October 2025 – Dal Josafat Athletics Stadium, Paarl
- Finale: Pilditch Stadium, Tshwane – February 2026
With structured team composition rules and space for B-team talent, the series encourages broad participation while raising competitive standards.
The starting line awaits
‘Every champion was once a beginner. Every pro was once an amateur. Every icon was once an unknown,’ Cindy added.
She concluded: ‘The baton is poised, the track is set, and the next generation of South African athletic excellence is ready to take their mark.’