Surfers keeps everyone in awe all this time
Friendly banter is what launched what is today the Discovery Surfers Challenge.
A group of erstwhile friends, some of who ran, some surfed, and others still did both.
A team of roadrunners from Buffalo Road Runners, at the time one of the strongest roadrunning clubs in the Eastern Cape, had defeated a spirited team of surfers in an annual relay from King William’s Town to East London.
The surfers, however, were seldom short on self-belief and conjured up the idea of a challenge to the roadrunners for a run alongside the Indian Ocean. It would not be a relay but a straight race from Kwelera River Mouth to the Nahoon Beach.
The runners rose to the bait, and the first Surfers Marathon over approximately 16km became a reality.
The initial race attracted just 26 sportsmen across the two disciplines.
Kenny Wilkinson was a superb runner over distances from 10km to the Comrades Marathon, and he proved his versatility and pedigree in comfortably winning the inaugural Surfers. Up to that point Wilkinson had finished 19th at Comrades in 1970 and ran a personal best of 6:34:00 in 1973.
The bug bit those who participated, although oddly Wilkinson did not run the race again until, on the 40th anniversary and at the age of 74, he travelled up from his home in Knysna to do so.
As the years progressed the race became something of folklore in East London and beyond, attracting sportsmen and women from all sports.
Some years down the line local paddlers decided they wanted to join the race, and thus a category was created for them, while an unofficial race developed between them and the runners. This was probably prompted by a runner versus paddler challenge from Port Elizabeth to the Orient Beach, East London.
In 1989, the late Mzwandile Shube, a former SA Junior HalfMarathon champion, broke the 60min barrier for the first time. He romped home in a superb 55:40, aided by a strong following wind and silted rivers.
This feat was never quite emulated, but it was followed with great performances when Sipho Majambozi and the late Michael Scout recorded wins of 59:58 and 59:19 respectively in 1992 and 1993.
Colleen Lindeque (now De Reuck) is undoubtedly the most talented woman ever to run and win the race. The multiple Olympian and World Championship runner blew the field apart when she arrived at the start unannounced.
Since then the most prominent women have been Lizanne Holmes, Hanlie Botha, Andrea Ranger and Jessica Pollock, all with connections to East London, as well as Myrette Brink from Pretoria.
Surfers has further evolved and added a run from Gonubie, which is 11.5km in length, and a junior event over 5km.
On February 23, 3-4,000 participants will traverse the sand, rocks, rivers, sea and take on the elements as they add to the folklore of The Discovery Surfers Challenge at its 45th running.