Images: Two Oceans Marathon, Stephen Granger, Shuyb Hendricks & courtesy Harold Berman, Sean Falconer
occasion, I was even asked to hold someone’ s false teeth while that person ran the race!
Q: What informed your distinctive commentary style? Did you have any mentors, or were you self-taught?
HB: Each commentator has their own style of commentary and method of pursuing their trade. My passion for athletics, including track and field, road running, race walking and cross-country, started when I was very young. I read books and took a keen interest in the world of athletics.
Q: Did you have a process for preparing, and how did you manage to remember so many names, records and stats in the pre-digital era?
HB: I prepared as best I could for races where I was asked to commentate, and among my requests to the race organiser was a list of preentries. Owing to my passion and love for the sport and being a‘ people’ s person,’ I tended to remember not only the names of runners, but also their club affiliations.
Q: Being in the plum seat as you often were in the commentary booth, what was your most goose-bump endearing moment or highlight to witness?
HB: There are many highlights to witness from a commentary booth – winners, well-known personalities in other fields, runners I personally knew and the tail end of the field. Very seldom would I mention a runner’ s occupation, as all runners are equal in the field – from professors, doctors and cabinet ministers to national rugby and cricket captains and players, to the ordinary folk of all shapes and sizes. Everyone deserves to be made a fuss of and feel great as they cross the finish line!
Q: With so many years of bringing the Two Oceans champions over the line, do you have any favourites amongst the many race icons?
HB: Having been involved in the Two Oceans Marathon every year since the first race in 1970, I had the privilege of watching many great runners in action. Amongst the greats are Monica Drögemöller, Frith van der Merwe, Thompson Magawana, the twin sisters Elena and Olesya
Harold did his final Two Oceans Commentary stint in 2023 alongside Sipho Mona, Katou Louw, Altus Schreuder and Sean Falconer
Two Oceans Marathon prize-giving in the early 1980s alongside the late Chet Sainsbury, former Two Oceans Marathon Race Director
Nurgalieva, and Gerda Steyn. However, if I were asked to name my personal favourite runner throughout the history of the race, I would have no hesitation in choosing the late Gabashane Vincent Rakabaele, winner in 1976 and 1979.
Q: Can you describe your most challenging moment in your commentary career?
HB: During a particular race, I was informed at the finishing line that a particular athlete – let’ s call him Mr X – had collapsed on the route and had been transported to hospital. A little while later, news was received that he had sadly passed away as a result of a heart attack. All the finish officials were most upset, but I carried on commentating, as the runners were finishing.
At the end of the event, a lady approached me and enquired as to whether I could make an announcement to call for her husband, as she had not seen him finish the race. I was happy to oblige and requested his name – the answer was Mr X. Naturally, what followed is that I had the difficult job of informing her of the sad turn of events. The officials and I were shocked to be the ones informing a wife of her spouse’ s passing. In assisting the lady, I was fortunate that I knew a runner close by who happened to be a nurse by profession. After I’ d relayed the story to her, the nurse accompanied Mrs X to the hospital to which her collapsed husband had been admitted.
Q: Your best advice for any person trying to make it in the world of sports commentary?
HB: I would focus on all of the following points: 1. Have a passion for the sport – make sure you enjoy being immersed in it. 2. Always be well-prepared and on time for your event. 3. Be friendly, approachable and agile. 4. Listen well and give everyone a hearing – you are playing to multiple audiences.
5. Never stop researching your sport as well as allied disciplines, so you can interact well with the athletes, officials, spectators and your colleagues behind the microphone – and do not expect your colleagues to‘ carry’ you.
LEGENDS
NAMING THE TWO OCEANS
Besides serving as race commentator at the Two Oceans Marathon for 50 years, Harold Berman also played a leading role in the creation of the event in the early 1970s, including choosing the now iconic Two Oceans name.
With the instant success and appeal of the Celtic 35 Mile Road Race in its first two editions in 1970 and 1971, Celtic Harriers agreed to make it an official club event, and authorised race founder Dave Venter to look for a sponsor for the 1972 race. His employers, BP Southern Africa, declined the opportunity, and that saw Venter approach keen supporter of the race, Bryan Grieve of The Argus newspaper, who introduced him to The Argus Promotions Department. The newspaper agreed to sponsor the race, with the proviso that it had a definite Cape flavour.
This led to a meeting of Celtic Harriers members at the Grand Hotel in Strand Street, Cape Town, to discuss a new name for the event. Among the suggestions tabled was Harold Berman’ s‘ Inter Oceans Marathon,’ while Venter proposed‘ Oceans to Oceans,’ but it was eventually Noel Stamper who came up with the winning name, the‘ Two Oceans Marathon.’ This new name was welcomed by The Argus, who agreed to publicise the race, print race numbers and certificates for finishers, and present a new trophy for the winner. Thus the race became known as The Argus Two Oceans Marathon.
At the post-race prize-giving, His Worship the Mayor of Cape Town, Dick Friedlander, told the runners that the Two Oceans Marathon was quickly growing into a Cape Town tradition, and this sentiment was echoed by The Argus committing to another year’ s sponsorship. Meanwhile, the runners themselves also gave the race their wholehearted approval. As Boet Rabie of East London put it,“ Your race has everything, and after the wonderful time we had, you can rest assured of a good entry from East London in future years.” Roland Davey of Durban summed it up in even fewer words:“ A long distance to travel, but well worth the effort.”
A cartoon published in The Argus celebrating 27 the newspaper’ s sponsorship of the newly named Two Oceans Marathon in 1972