aQuellé Midmar Mile debutant Catherine van Rensburg took the lead at the start gun with TUKS swimming partner Callan Lotter, and held her lead through each of the three hotspot prizes on the way to her 2025 gold medal in KwaZulu-Natal on Sunday, 9 February, 2025.
Competing in her first-ever aQuellé Midmar Mile, Van Rensburg led from the start, pulling away from the pack along with teammate and lane-mate at TUKS, Callan Lotter.
The duo battled choppy conditions to remain out front and it was Van Rensburg, who had reached all three hotspots at the 400, 800 and 1200m marks just ahead, who made the decisive move in the final metres to cross the finish in 19 minutes 49 to take the title.
Lotter was second in 20:06 and, for the first time in aQuellé Midmar Mile history, there was a tie for third with 2022 champion Stephanie Houtman and New Zealand swimmer Ruby Heath crossing the finish in exactly the same time of 20:32, leaving officials unable to separate them even after reviewing video footage.
“This is my first Midmar race so I’m so happy with it. The conditions were a little bit choppy but I just pushed through. Callan and I are best friends so we swim together the whole time and we just tried to push each other to see how far we could get.”
2025 aQuellé Midmar Mile Champion, Catherine van Rensburg
Lotter added: “It was quite tough with all the waves – you could hardly see where you were going, so I was just trying to follow Catherine the whole way.”
Heath also found it tough going but was wowed by the scale of the event.
“It was amazing, choppier conditions than we would have hoped for but that’s open water swimming – you can’t dictate the conditions, but this one is certainly going to be with me for a while, and I hope to come back again next year and swim it again,” she said.
“In New Zealand we don’t have anything like this. So to be here and witness this many people getting involved in open water swimming is really amazing and the level of competition is something next to none so it’s been a really great experience and I’ve really enjoyed it.”
2025 aQuellé Midmar Mile Bronze Medalist, New Zealand’s Ruby Heath
Earlier in the day, two-time Olympic gold medallist and 2023 Midmar champion Sharon van Rouwendaal decided to swim in the 31-40 age category rather than in the main race, winning easily in a time of 20:15.
Leading Elite Women at the 2025 aQuellé Midmar Mile
1. Catherine van Rensburg – 19:49
2. Callan Lotter – 20:06
=3. Stephanie Houtman – 20:32
=3. Ruby Heath – 20.32
5. Kirsty Andraos – 22:09
6. Zuria Venter – 22:09
7. Katie-Peta Marcelino – 22:12
8. Megan Shepherd – 22:13
9. Cassidy Sinclair – 22:14
10. Taylor Kassebaum – 22:14
Click here for full results at FinishTime.co.za
Original Copy: Karien Jonchheere, with editing by gsport
Main Photo Caption: aQuellé Midmar Mile debutant Catherine van Rensburg took the lead with TUKS swimming partner Callan Lotter, edging her to claim each of the three hotspot prizes on the way to her 2025 gold medal. Photo: Darren Stewart
Photo 2 Caption: The four medalists for the 2025 aQuellé Midmar Mile are (from left) third-place finisher Ruby Heath (New Zealand), 2025 champion Catherine van Rensburg, silver medalist Callan Lotter and co-third-place swimmer, Stephanie Houtman share the podium on Sunday, 9 February, 2025. Photo: Darren Stewart
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