Book a treasure of SA’s colourful history in running

Going the Distance last week touched on the five volumes of the History of South African Cross-Country, Middle and Long Distance Running and Walking — 1894 to 2014.

Much to my delight, my order arrived this week.

I was as excited as my 11-year-old son was on his birthday.

Author Dewald Steyn immediately received a phone call just to catch up and chat.

He says that far from being relieved the project is complete, he is now writing the specific history of track and field.

My start is tentative, a bit like a warm up for a big race really, as I prepare to take in 1,786 pages of our sports’ colourful history.

All five volumes cover the realm of elite performance and names of yore flow.

Upon receipt of the parcel, the first person I shared my excitement with was appropriately the doyen of athletics in the province, Trevor Gee, who is mentioned on six different pages in volume one.

The index of names is a separate publication and it alone runs to 63 pages, a perusal of which should whet any athletic appetite to delve hungrily into the documented history.

There has been no time to peruse the entire list but local runners, folk with strong Border-Kei connections and world-class performances recorded in the region, have already jumped out the pages.

From volume one where Jannie Breed, a long standing member and servant of East London Athletic Club features, to Mongezi Qinela, the highly talented Selborne College pupil in volume 4, there is meaningful Border representation throughout.

Two tough farming stock runners were brothers Des and Trevor Torr and their exploits are well documented.

From a different era are brothers John and Stephen Donald, who operated out of East London for a few years, having arrived here from Cape Town.

The Inter Provincial Marathon Championships were a Border initiative and John won an exciting race finishing at the Alexandra Country Club.

At the same race, Claire Taylor, of Johannesburg, ran the first ever women’s sub three marathon, highlighting what the city had to offer marathon wise.

These and so many other wonderful stories come rushing back as the pages are turned.

Regardless of what era the reader hails from there is something in the volumes for all, and more than that, an opportunity for us to further educate ourselves in respect of where the sport has come from.

East London’s great SA championship races are well documented and one that is not always spoken about, but really was up with the best, was the South African Cross Country Championships run at the Buffalo Club.

The course was tough, as most Kevin Flint designed courses were.

The men’s race was won by one of the greatest distance athletes produced in SA, Mark Plaatjies, and the women’s by Tanya Peckham.

Some of my favourite memories re-inspired include having watched Rogers Mbantsa finishing second at the SA Half Marathon on a seven-lap beachfront course, Monde Tutani racing on every surface and prevailing against SA’s best, to Lizanne Holmes taking her local form onto the national stage.

Re-living the superb performances of the men and women of the road, too numerous to mention, is inspiring.