STATS & FACTS
by RIËL HAUMAN
Stats & Facts
End of Year Action
Here ’ s a round-up of SA running news highlights from the past several weeks .
Much-loved Races Run Again Muller Potgieter / Voortrekker Monument Half Marathon , Pretoria , 26 November Sportsmans Warehouse Winelands Marathon , Stellenbosch , 26 November City Lodge RAC Tough One 32km , Johannesburg , 27 November
Three of South Africa ’ s oldest road races were held on the weekend of 26-27 November . In Pretoria , the Muller Potgieter / Voortrekker Monument Half Marathon was run for the 52nd time , with the wins going to Jeoffrey Mashau in 1:28:22 and Minejoh Mnauni in 1:38:45 . In nearby Johannesburg , the 47th City Lodge RAC Tough One 32km was won by Elvis Tau in 1:46:11 and Marelise Retief in 2:10:57 . Retief ’ s victory came 13 years after
12
TOP 10 STATS
Fastest SA Women at the New York Marathon
( After the 2022 race )
This month we look at the top 10 SA women in the New York Marathon , with 13 times in total due to two athletes appearing more than once . The list is headed by Gerda Steyn ’ s 2:27:48 in 2019 , and her time in the 2022 race is now third on the list . Note that in some years the course was aided , denoted by the letter a after the finishing time .
NEW YORK MARATHON : TOP 10 S . A . WOMEN
1 2:27:48 Gerda Steyn ( 11th , 3 Nov 2019 )
2 2:29:11a Colleen De Reuck ( 2nd , 2 Nov 1997 )
3 2:30:22 Gerda Steyn-2 ( 12th , 6 Nov 2022 )
4 2:31:04 Gerda Steyn-3 ( 13th , 4 Nov 2018 )
5 2:31:43a Elana Meyer ( 10th , 4 Nov 2001 )
6 2:43:49a Sonja Laxton ( 11th , 26 Oct 1980 )
7 2:44:26 Caroline Wöstmann ( 18th , 1 Nov 2015 )
8 2:44:40a Beverley Malan ( 23rd , 24 Oct 1982 )
9 2:46:18a Colleen De Reuck-2 ( 14th , 12 Nov 1995 )
10 2:57:27a Magdalena Visser ( 54th , 4 Nov 2001 )
11 2:58:24a Leanne Juul ( 49th , 1 Nov 2009 )
12 2:59:40 Rona Loubser ( 60th , 7 Nov 2010 ) ISSUE 155 | www . modernathlete . co . za
13 2:59:53a Zola Pieterse ( 69th , 2 Nov 2008 )
she had won in 2009 . And in Stellenbosch , the 43rd
Winelands Marathon went to Sithembile Swarts in 2:27:35 and Madele du Plessis in 3:11:14 .
Sithembile Swarts
PBs for SA heroes in Spain Maratón Valencia Trinidad Alfonso , Spain , 4 December
The superfast Valencia course lived up to its reputation when both winners finished within a minute of the World Records , and world debut records for men and women were set . In his first
race over the distance , Kelvin Kiptum of Kenya clocked 2:01:53 to finish just 44 seconds short of Eliud Kipchoge ’ s world mark , and in the women ’ s race , Ethiopian Amane Beriso ’ s 2:14:58 was just 54 seconds slower than Brigid Kosgei ’ s World Record . Fourth woman home was Tadu Teshome Nare of Ethiopia , the winner of the Spar Grand Prix for the last two years , who clocked 2:17:36 to take more than six minutes off her PB ). South Africa ’ s Irvette van Zyl finished 16th in a PB 2:26:11 to improve her
Irvette van Zyl
Gerda Steyn
Images : AB Photo ZA , Reg Caldecott & courtesy Murray & Roberts Running Club , Gerda Steyn , Peninsula Marathon , Dewald Steyn , Wikimedia , Two Oceans Marathon