Athlete Mathews Motshwareteu enters the annals of the country’s athletics history after only five weeks of track athletics

Date: 15 Apr 1978
Updated: 30 Sep 2019

Mathews Motshwareteu was born on 2 November 1958 in Soweto, Johannesburg. His talent for athletics became apparent in his primary school years, which he spent at Isaacson Primary, Soweto. He had a peculiar way of running that made it look like he was about to fall over at any moment, leading to him later being known by the nick name “Loop-en-Val,” meaning walk-and fall He matriculated at Seana-Marena High School, and then started running for the East Rand Propriety Mines. On 15 April 1978, Motshwareteu entered the annals of South African athletics when he broke the national 5 000m record at the Coetzenburg Stadium in Stellenbosch, Western Cape. He remained one of the country’s greatest middle- and long-distance runners until a hamstring injury at the age of 40 hampered his career. No longer able to run, he later found work as a second hand car dealer. He died in 2002 when he was shot in a robbery.

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How we know this

01Morgan, B., Matthews 'Loop-en-Val' Motshwarateu, from South Africa Info, [online], Available at www.southafrica.info [Accessed: 19 March 2014]
02SAHO, Mathews ''Loop-en-val'' Motshwarateu, from South African History Online, [online], Available at www.sahistory.org.za [Accessed: 19 March 2014]

Last updated · 30 Sep 2019

Cite this entry

South African History Online. (2014, April 11). Athlete Mathews Motshwareteu enters the annals of the country’s athletics history after only five weeks of track athletics. South African History Online. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097365

South African History Online (2014) 'Athlete Mathews Motshwareteu enters the annals of the country’s athletics history after only five weeks of track athletics', South African History Online, 11 April. Available at: https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097365 (Accessed: 22 July 2026).

South African History Online, Athlete Mathews Motshwareteu enters the annals of the country’s athletics history after only five weeks of track athletics [website], https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097365, (accessed 22 July 2026).

"Athlete Mathews Motshwareteu enters the annals of the country’s athletics history after only five weeks of track athletics." South African History Online, 11 Apr. 2014, https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097365. Accessed 22 July 2026.

South African History Online. "Athlete Mathews Motshwareteu enters the annals of the country’s athletics history after only five weeks of track athletics." South African History Online. April 11, 2014. https://sahistory.org.za/ref/E-0097365.