Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 103, February 2018 | Page 5

ADVERTORIAL
The Ever-present Eight of
OM DIE DAM
In 1990 the first Voltaren Om die Dam 50km was run with around 1000 runners taking part, and of those, eight runners have
gone on to complete all 27 editions of the Old Mutual Om die Dam Ultra thus far. In 2018 all eight will line up once again,
and we caught up with four members of this exclusive club to ask them what keeps them coming back. – BY ROXANNE MARTIN
THE EVER-PRESENT EIGHT
With 27 consecutive finishes each, these eight runners have run every Old Mutual Om die Dam Ultra since the first race in 1990.
Frank Da Ascencao | Chris du Plooy | Richard Hammill | Gerald Kroukamp | Callie la Grange | Zirk Lourens | Derrick Oliver | Noel Smeda
H
aving always
run the Old
Mutual Two
Oceans Marathon
in Cape Town as
his long training run
for the Comrades
Marathon, Zirk
Lourens was
overjoyed when the
Om die Dam Ultra
was launched. Since
he lived in Pretoria,
the new race was a much better fit, and after his
first race around the Hartbeespoort Dam, he jokingly
renamed it the “One Ocean.” With 27 medals to his
name, as well as 32 Comrades and 15 Two Oceans
medals, he says, “I want to run 30 consecutive Om
die Dams before I stop.”
The 62-year-old’s advice for Om die Dam first-timers
is, “Believe in yourself and your capabilities, and don’t
get caught up in the excited pace in the early stages
of the race. Try stay with a group of runners who have
completed the race before, so look out for runners
with permanent numbers on their vests, but don’t join
a bus where you can’t afford the ticket!”
Gerald Kroukamp will turn 70 this year, and can
look back on not only 27 Om Die Dam finishes, but
he has also completed 25 Comrades and 28 Two
Oceans as well! He says he loves running ultras,
and his goal is to get to 30 finishes each at Om die
Dam, Comrades and Two Oceans. “30 is my magic
number,” he says.
When asked what he thinks about the changes to this
year’s route, Gerald says, “It’s nice to have a change, it
makes the run feel new.” He also has some advice for
those taking on Om die Dam for the first time: “Take
it slow in the beginning, because the race only starts
at 30km – then you can decide how you are going to
finish. If you feel good, push hard to the finish.”
Another veteran
of the race
is Richard
Hammill, now
58, and he
says he still
remembers the
peace he felt
during his first
Om die Dam.
“Back then there
was nothing out
there. When you ran it was so peaceful, you felt so
present running in the bushveld. I still feel that today,
and the Magliesburg is a very special place for me.”
Richard is another with huge ultra-marathon
experience, with 17 Two Oceans and 29 Comrades
medals to go with his 27 Om die Dam medals. Asked
what not to do when running Om die Dam, Richard
tells us about the time he stayed u p partying till 2am
the night before the Ultra. “It was a very long seven
hours the next day!” he says. However, his next words
show just why he comes back year after year: “This
race has grown to be one of ‘the’ ultras in the country,
and when you run it you understand that history, and
how the community has always made it a race to
remember… especially the melktert at Meerhof!”
Our final
Om die Dam
legend is
Derrick Oliver
(59), who has
completed
34 Comrades
Marathons
as well, and
he says it
was training
for the 90km
KZN ultra that got him on the start line at Om die
Dam 28 years ago. “I never expected to run it every
year, but because of the time of year, I can use it as a
benchmark to see where I am for Comrades. Om die
Dam is the race that gets me ready for Comrades.”
When asked how many Old Mutual Om die Dam
races he plans on doing, Derrick says, “I will continue
as long as possible. I am heading to the ‘departure
lounge’ for the Comrades Marathon, but Om die Dam
is set to become my ‘new Comrades.’ It has all the
ingredients of an A Grade race!”
The 28 th edition of the Old Mutual Om die Dam Ultra, will take place on 17 March 2018 at the Hartbeesport Holiday Club. Entries for the Ultra and Half
Marathon are sold out, but entries for the 10km will be available at Race Registration.
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