It will be anyone’s race for the taking

The records of where the Discovery Surfers women actually finished within the race only came into being in 2008 and in that time there have been six different winners in 11 starts.

Hanlie Botha, who runs for Easy Equities Born 2 Run and who is a leader in the sport generally and the chosen ambassador for the Surfers, has won over the traditional distance on four occasions and the shorter version once.

Botha won in 2008, 2013 and 2018.

Myrette Brink, who runs for the new Pretoria branch of the same club as Botha, won in 2012, the year after she was disqualified for having not entered. She had stumbled upon the race on that Saturday morning whilst enjoying a coffee in 2011, Gonubie, but was too late to get to registration. She ran anyway, did exceptionally well and was invited back as a guest runner a year later.

Brink also won in 2014 and 2016.

Both women took time out from the race for the birth of their two children and returned stronger than before.

One such year was 2009, which affected a pregnant Botha. Tammy Kelly came through to win on that occasion, while a year later the then young school girl, Jessica Pollock, surprised many, when she emerged from the Nahoon River comfortably ahead of the 2010 opposition.

In 2015 Yolande McLean, a multiple Comrades gold medallist, came down as substitute for Brink and won comfortably.

Andrea Ranger had been in the top echelons for many years Different women winners in 11 starts since the Surfers race in 2008 without notching a win, but in 2017 that was to change when she ran powerfully to capture her treasured Surfers win and title.

So what of 2019?

Botha is not running due to injury, but Brink is. Pollock who was the runner-up to Botha last year is a doubtful starter with a similar injury to that of her rival, but if she cannot run she intends to paddle in the surf-ski race.

Ranger is running and is in good form with an excellent half-marathon chalked up last Sunday and seems destined for at least a podium finish. It is also Ranger’s 19th Surfers, the first race she ever ran and her favourite race.

There are of course others who could challenge including Ingrid Webber, who is always in the mix, and possibly Steph Smith, if it fits into her programme of races. It is generally a race she enjoys.

The very promising young Rebekah Anderson is another to keep an eye on, particularly in this type of off-road fixture. She has won the Kei to Crawfords, Emerald Vale 15km Trail, Tea in the Trees, Haga Haga Rock Run, Areena, Table 59 and placed second in numerous others.

The runner who beat Anderson into first place at the Hagmorkei, Franza Landman, is fairly new to East London and is signed up with Old Selbornians. She is however involved with the Wild Coast Challenge over three days, so may not be in the field.

Surfers being Surfers there is often a surprise package that shows up. Saturday afternoon will tell.