BORDER HONE THEIR SKILLS
Building blocks for the future campaign
The Amathole Marathon on Sunday, will double as the Border Championships again, thus enticing candidate runners to make an appearance.
The marathon, the oldest established 42.2km race in the province, and quite possibly the country, is run on an interesting course in that it offers a flat and downhill start, which is however shortlived for the first 14km also presents some tough hills.
The race starts in Stutterheim and ends in King William’s Town and whilst it has an overall drop in elevation it is anything but easy.
One major downhill pass includes the halfway mark as runners plunge downward.
The marathon does command an extremely proud history with its origins in the grand days when pioneers of the sport set the scene for those who follow today.
The first race was held in 1964 and from the outset attracted runners from across South Africa, Comrades runners in particular.
Of the most prominent locals were Alfred Mangesi, Solomon Pongolo, Gordon Shaw, Willie Mankayi, Mlamli Nkonkobe, brothers John and Stephen Donald, David Skepe, Mthobeli Sigaji, Hendrik Erasmus, Lizbet Ntozini and earlier still, Des and Trevor Torr, Mike Warren, Stan Kruger, Rocko Kruger and Robbie Wilkinson, Hendrik Erasmus, Mlamli Nkonkobe, Estelle Tiltman and Bobby Kerr. That is a small sample of household names who have graced the event.
In 1970 the first national star, and probably one of the most versatile runners ever produced in South Africa, Johnny Halberstadt won in a new record time of 2:24:49. No one would match that time until he came back to record a 2:19:53 in 1978.
Halberstadt is considered to be one of the most versatile runners produced in South Africa.
In the early 1980s a young Willie Mankayi “arrived” on the scene and won each race he ran. Switching his attentions to the marathon in 1984 he ran a splendid 2:18:50. It was a great time then and would be a fantastic time now.
Mankayi’s record would stand until 1990 when the first black winner of the Comrades Marathon, Sam Tshabalala was invited down by race convenor John Davies.
Tshabalala would set a new time of 2:18:23 and that remains the race record still.
Bruce Fordyce also ran in 1990 albeit socially, while Naidene Harrison, a former Cambridge High School athlete living in KZN, who had also won the Comrades that year, won the women’s race.
Harrison ran a very competitive time in respect of the women’s history. Her 2:58:46 meant that only former Two Oceans winner, Beverly Malan from Port Elizabeth had ever gone faster with a 2:57:03. That remains true in 2018.
With the demise of Amatola Pirates, the organising club, the race battled to survive until Border Athletics took up the cause. The result has been a low-key year-on-year survival.
Last year there was a new life breathed with runners from Old Mutual and Real Gijimas in particular supporting the event.
Entries are available at Sports retail outlets in Buffalo City and all finishes will receive medals.