24 years on and still counting

Two runners geared to conquer their 25th running of iconic race

AWHOOPING 4 000km, that is how far ELB Washie 100 miler (160km) Legends David ‘Butch’ Duffy and Eric Wright will have run in this one race, spanned over 25 years, when they cross the finish line in East London for the 25th time at Buffs Club on Saturday.

This is the equivalent of having run from East London to Harare in Zimbabwe and almost back, just 156km short. If they do their 26th Washie they will reach that distance.

It is history in the making as the two runners look to become the first Washie competitors to reach the mark.

Wright had the chance in 2013 and last year to be the first runner to achieve the feat, but doing a double Washie in aid of Rhino conservation proved too much as he was not able to finish the actual race on his return run after getting to Port Alfred and coming back with the main race.

“This will be my third attempt to get to 25 after I tried the double the last couple of years, so this time I will just be doing the one to reach that milestone,” said Wright.

The 39th annual ultra marathon will head off from Port Alfred tomorrow afternoon, with runners starting to arrive in East London from early Saturday morning.

Duffy, running for Buffalo Road Runners and Wright for Rand Road Warriors are by far the most travelled Washie competitors in this year’s race. However, a number of other runners are returning for multiple runs.

These include Wimpie Herbst (Blue Water Bay) running in his 10th and John Magagane (Rand Road Warriors) taking part in his 15th race.

Just to complete one Washie must be gruelling enough, but to run 25 is an absolutely amazing feat.

Wright ran his first Washie when he as a 33-year-old in 1988 and has competed in every race since then, not completing the race on only three occasions – once because he drove down and competed on the same day, which took its toll, and twice due to his double attempts.

“I started off running the comrades in 1978 and did 10 before I realised I wanted a new and bigger challenge,” said Wright.

“Myself and my two brothers started running the race together and it became an annual race for us.

“My best race was when I won it in the mid 90s and I think I will continue to run this race as long as I enjoy it and am fit and healthy.”

For Duffy his first Washie race was in 1990 at 29 years of age and he has since run 24, all in a row, finishing second on three occasions as his best result.

“I had grown up watching the Comrades and other big races and always wanted to do an Ultra, so that got me into the Washie,” said Duffy.

“After I had done my first I enjoyed it, although it is extremely tough and takes a lot of hard work and training, so I just decided to do another and here I am doing my 25th, although I never expected to carry on for so long.

“I want to return next year for the Washie’s 40th anniversary and do the double, where I will start in East London and run to Port Alfred, and then start the race with everyone in Port Alfred and come back.”

The race heads off from the Halyards hotel in Port Alfred at 5pm.

The cut-off time for runners is 26 hours, so all runners should be in by 7pm on Saturday.