Simbine’s relentless speed as South African star hits 50 sub-10s milestone

...Kanyinsola Ajayi adds gloss to 2025 sub 10s pool

 

By Maxwell Kumoye and Mishael Emmanuel

 

 

South Africa’s sprint king Akani Simbine has quietly carved out one of the most remarkable records in modern athletics, reaching a landmark half-century of sub-10-second 100m performances.

The 32 year old is rewriting the narrative of consistency in elite sprinting.

In an era dominated by explosive peaks and fleeting brilliance, Simbine has built his legacy on endurance at the highest level. 

From 2015 through 2026, the South African has delivered sub-10-second runs every single season for 12 consecutive years, setting a new benchmark for longevity and surpassing the previous record held by sprint legend Usain Bolt.

While Jamaican great Asafa Powell still stands atop the all-time list with an astonishing 97 sub-10 performances between 2004 and 2016, Simbine’s achievement tells a different, equally compelling story, one of resilience, discipline, and unwavering excellence.

The exclusive sub-10 club remains one of athletics’ most elite circles. Names like Justin Gatlin, Maurice Greene, and Yohan Blake feature prominently among the sport’s fastest men, alongside a new generation including Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley, and Trayvon Bromell. 

Yet, few have matched Simbine’s sustained presence under the sport’s most unforgiving barrier.

His 50-plus sub-10 runs place him firmly among the greats, but it is the consistency, year after year, season after season that sets him apart. 

In a discipline where milliseconds define careers, Simbine has made reliability his trademark and has firmly engraved South Africa's athletics in the hearts of its faithfuls.

The broader sprinting landscape also reflects a surge in elite performances, with recent seasons, particularly 2025, producing a wave of new sub-10 entrants. 

That prestigious list includes Nigeria's Kanyinsola Ajayi. 

Nigerian sprinter run sub-10 seconds a total of six times in legal wind conditions, all of which occurred during the 2025 season. 

Ajayi's achievement of six sub-10 runs in 2025 is the most ever recorded by a Nigerian athlete in a single season, twice at the World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Still, even amid this modern proliferation, Simbine’s longevity remains unmatched.

As the global sprint scene continues to evolve, one thing is clear and certain, Akani Simbine is no longer just part of the conversation, he is defining it, stride by stride.