Lightening Fast pacers up for it
History has shown that iconic race is ideal for the speedsters to show class
In 1991 a visionary decision to change an existing 10km road race into a fast, “run off your feet” affair, delivered what local running was crying out for.
Virtually every one of the 466 finishers on the day ran a personal best 10km time.
So for 27 years the race, now sponsored by Xerox and universally known as the Lightening Fast 10km, has been run on the same course and this will be so yet again on Sunday.
The race has over the years tempted and tantalised runners to go out and give it their all. Many have embraced the opportunity and only a few have been too bashful to take up the challenge.
For five years before 1991 the race was rebranded under various sponsorships and on different courses, with a varying degree of success and drama.
As has been the case with so many local races the first male winner of the run from the Johnson and Johnson factory to Oxford Striders in Beach Road, Nahoon, was won by Makaya Masumpa, then a member of the organising club.
His time of 29:28 confirmed that the course was exactly what had been called for.
Lizanne Holmes, who at the time was unbeatable in local circles, clocked an impressive 34:25 to win the women’s race.
Speaking to Holmes from her home in George this week, she confirmed she never ran faster for a 10km, though may have gone through 10 a bit quicker when gaining national colours at a 15km championship in Bellville around that time.
In the years that followed a number of men would go faster, but only Easy Equities Born 2 Run’s Hanlie Botha would narrowly eclipse Holmes’ time in the women’s competition.
The race on Sunday offers a trip down memory lane for many as Masumpa will be running as a 50+ competitor and a probable winner of the category, while the 1992 winner, Phillip Quvana (28:55) has made a comeback after many years of inactivity and will join Masumpa in the same category, with both men now in Born 2 Run colours.
More than that, Bassie Mbenya, who set a course record of 28:48 in 1993, has threatened a comeback, but in the meanwhile his son, Nikelo Lolwana, also of Born 2 Run, will be in the field.
It will be something of a surprise if anyone can better the times on Sunday, but what is a given is that the racing upfront will be intense.
Luthando Hejana in the colours of Real Gijimas is often considered the man to beat and he is sure to go out hard and in front. That said, there are a number of new men emerging and results are likely to become far less predictable.
In the women’s field the race is fairly open given that a number of top runners are out. inclusive of Born 2 Run’s Botha, Caryn Lategan and Lauren Ranger, along with Stephanie Smith who, the next time she races, will have teamed up with the national women’s club, Massmart.
The likely result of this is that Born 2 Run should still win the women’s race with one of Andrea Ranger and Cindy Schwulst breasting the tape first. Also in the mix upfront will be Melanie Schemel and Tara Schwulst.
The age groups will as always be fiercely contested and more than one surprise result can be expected.
The race starts at 7am in what is predicted to be light rain.