They were truly road heroes

Ghosts of runners past still grace the province’s hills

The Eastern Cape is home to many welldocumented political and civil society heroes. They are men and women of real substance.

In the field of roadrunning and all other forms of athletics there have likewise been leaders in their field who have emerged from all corners of the province, including the region in which the Heroes Marathon, half-marathon 10km and 5km will be run on Sunday December 16, in celebration of 100 years of Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela.

Sadly, many have passed on prematurely.

Rogers Mbantsa was one such man. He struck fear into the hearts of all who ran against him. He was particularly effective in races over 10km, especially the half- marathon, in which he claimed the silver medal in the South African Championships in 1981 on a fast course in East London.

Following a serious car accident Mbantsa's career was cut short, but such was the depth of the man that he went on to become a top administrator in the region based in his native Mthatha.

Thompson Magawana was a giant in the field of distance running and was especially prominent at the standard marathon. He will be best remembered for his Two Oceans 56km feats.

From Bizana, Magawana would, like so many from the region, align himself with the athletics clubs attached to the mining industry.

He won the Peninsula, Pick n Pay Johannesburg (twice) Johnson Crane, Sun City, Banana, Hillcrest (thrice), DAC (twice) and Winelands Marathons.

He was South African Marathon Champion in 1985 and silver medallist in 1983, ‘84 and ‘86.

In 1987 he won Two Oceans in a new record time of 3:05:31, but if that was startling, a year later the lively, friendly Eastern Cape man ran a mindboggling 3:03:44. It is now 30 years later and that record still stands.

Within that race he also set world best times for 30 miles and 50km.

Zithulele Sinqe was and remains a household name in the annals of SA roadrunning history.

He was involved in so many epic races and finishes but the two biggest were the SA Marathon Champs in Port Elizabeth in 1986 and the equivalent halfmarathon a year later in East London.

The former race saw a shoulder-toshoulder tussle with Willie Mtolo and a sprint finish in which Sinqe triumphed with a 2:08:04 win over the KZN man’s 2:08:15.

In the half-marathon it was the great Mathews Temane he would confront and again sprint alongside to the finish.

Both Temane and Sinqe were credited with 60:11, a world best at the time.

Sinqe was also a Two Oceans winner and ran for South Africa at the 1991 Barcelona Olympics.

Xolile Yawa, from Lady Frere, became a multiple SA champion on the track, at cross-country and on the road.

He is still today a man of huge significance in running .

Winning the Berlin Marathon in 1993 was one of his many highlights, recording 2:10:57 on that occasion.

He also participated for South Africa at the Olympics and World Championships on the track, road and cross-country, probably the most versatile of all South Africa's distance runners.

Many others are deserving of documentation, including Mluleki Nobanda, Tammy Bilibana, Alfred Mangesi, Mzwandile Shube, Michael Scout, Peter Tshikila, Lizanne Holmes, Diane Massyn and so many more.

Running heroes all – and all from the Eastern Cape.

The lively, friendly Eastern Cape man ran a mindboggling 3:03:44. It is now 30 years later and that record still stands