Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 150 May 2022 | Page 13

African to break nine minutes for 3000m . She won in 8:59.4 , with Laxton finishing much closer than in Potchefstroom with her 9:03.8 , also faster than her previous SA record .

7 May 1979

As the seventies wound down , Johan Fourie was still in the early stages of what would become a remarkable career . Only 19 at the beginning of 1979 , he had won both the 1500m and 5000m at

Sydney Maree the SA Under-21 Championships in early April , and then had also taken the senior 1500m title . On this night in Stellenbosch , a little more than a week later , he came up against the two men who had finished second and third , Louis Liebenberg and Ewald Bonzet , and against a man who was on a different level than all the others in the race . Sydney Maree ’ s best for the mile was 3:57.9 when he came to the starting line on the Coetzenburg track , while the SA record stood at 3:54.6 , set by Danie Malan four years earlier on the same track . As it turned out , his rivals had no answer for Maree ’ s finishing speed , and he won easily in 3:53.7 for a new national mark . He was followed by Fourie in a PB 3:56.3 , Liebenberg in 3:58.1 ( also a PB ) and Bonzet in 3:58.6 . Thirteen days later , Maree would also break the SA 5000m record , and his mile record stood for more than three years before Fourie surpassed it .

6 May 1988

The date of 6 May 1954 is indelibly etched in athletics history as the day when Roger Bannister ran the first four-minute mile , but the same date is also a significant one in South African road running , although 34 years later . This was the occasion of the first running of the Safari Half Marathon in Wellington . Xolile Yawa , who three weeks earlier had won his fourth successive SA 10000m title , scored an impressive victory in 1:03:06 , beating Matthews Temane by almost two minutes ! Although there have been course changes over the years , this time remains the fastest ever recorded in the race . About 10 weeks later , Yawa would win his second national half marathon title in 1:01:58 . The women ’ s race went to Marinda Lamprecht in 1:22:36 . The best time ever for women in the Wellington event is the 1:13:46 run by Elana Meyer in 1993 .

Xolile Yawa ( right )

About the Author

These stats and results are drawn from the weekly Distance Running Results mailer compiled by internationally acclaimed athletics statistician Riël Hauman , who has more than 50 years ’ experience as a journalist , author , publisher , commentator , pundit , administrator , event organiser , coach , team manager and runner in South African athletics , road running and cross country . He is also a former editor of the South African Athletics Annual , and author of two books , Hardloop en Lééf and Century of the Marathon 1896-1996 . To subscribe to his weekly newsletter , send him a mail at rielh @ mweb . co . za .

This section lists the best South African performance for each of the age categories over the most popular road distances . Note that the categories are not closed , i . e . athletes can be included in younger age categories if their times qualify .

OPEN VETERANS ( 40 +) MASTERS ( 50 +)

10km 28:46 Melikhaya Frans Gqeberha , 27 Feb 31:48

Lindikhaya Mthangayi

Athlone , 26 Feb 34:56 Desmond Zibi Gqeberha , 27 Feb

15km 47:13 Ashley Smith Constantia , 5 Feb 50:52 Mthandazo Qhina Constantia , 5 Feb 55:09 John September Constantia , 12 Mar

30km 1:33:11 Melikhaya Frans Despatch , 19 Mar 1:43:41a

Lindikhaya Mthangayi

Camps Bay , 30 Jan 1:53:12 Desmond Zibi Despatch , 19 Mar

50km 2:40:13 Stephen Mokoka Gqeberha , 6 Mar 2:56:41 Claude Moshiywa Gqeberha , 6 Mar 3:33:05 Lindile Tokota Gqeberha , 6 Mar

GRANDMASTERS ( 60 +) GREAT GRANDMASTERS ( 70 +) JUNIORS

10km 38:31 Eric Coetzee Goodwood , 5 Mar 44:21 Hannes Els Gqeberha , 27 Feb 32:31 Fanele Zulu Durban , 27 Feb

15km 1:00:26 Tony Silva Edenvale , 13 Mar 72:28 Hannes Els Gqeberha , 22 Jan 51:18

Uzukhanye Makhonxa

Constantia , 5 Feb

21.1km ^{1 : 24 : 43 Tony Silva Durban , 10 Apr 1 : 42 : 48 Hannes Els} Port Elizabeth , 26 Mar

1:16:50 Clemond Komane Secunda , 19 Feb

25km 1:49:59a Mandla Dlamuka Pinetown , 30 Jan NT NT

30km 2:07:54 Eric Coetzee Parow , 27 Mar 2:35:32 Hannes Els Despatch , 19 Mar NT

42.2km ^{3 : 02 : 02a Friedl van der Merwe} Simon ' s Town , 20 Feb

4:16:38a Raymond Venables Langebaan , 19 Mar NT

50km 5:18:18a Hennies Thwala Nelspruit , 26 Mar NT NT

KEY | a – course is aided , e . g . downhill or point-to-point , and therefore not record-legal | NT – No Time posted by an athlete in this category

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