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 .

Some quick times have been run by South Africans over 3000 metres so far this year , led by Adriaan Wildschutt ’ s new SA Record in Switzerland . The country now has 19 men on the all-time list who have dipped under 7:50 for this distance , but note that only the best time for each athlete is given in the list below . Among the names on the list is Jean Verster , now chairman of the ASA Track & Field Commission , while the list is rounded out by the late Ewald Bonzet , who was one of the most versatile distance runners ever produced in South Africa , with the oldest time on the list .

Ten of the performances were achieved overseas , while all the others were run on the Coetzenburg track in Stellenbosch ( and all before 1996 ). There are three races in Stellenbosch with two times each on the list – those on 7 January 1985 , 13 February 1990 , and 25 February 1995 . In fact , that 1990 race saw three times under 7:50 , with Johan Fourie finishing second in 7:48.13 ( not shown on the list due to having a faster time ) and Marius-Hugo Schlechter third . This is still the only race in which three South Africans dipped under 7:50 in the same race .

1 7:39.25 * Adriaan Wildschutt Lucerne , Switzerland 20 Jul 23 2 7:40.99 Jerry Motsau Nembro , Italy 17 Jun 21 3 7:41.06 Juan van Deventer Stockholm , Sweden 22 Jul 08 4 7:41.38 Elroy Gelant Ostrava , Czech Republic 25 May 12 5 7:44.0h Johan Fourie Stellenbosch , SA 7 Jan 85 6 7:44.34 Maxime Chaumeton Grosseto , Italy 27 May 23 7 7:45.10 Ryan Mphahlele Celle Ligure , Italy 19 Jul 23 8 7:46.07 Shadrack Hoff Stellenbosch , SA 25 Feb 95 9 7:46.60 Jean Verster Nice , France 21 Jul 93 10 7:47.36 Whaddon Niewoudt Seville , Spain 29 May 97 11 7:47.5h Matthews Temane Stellenbosch , SA 7 Jan 85 12 7:47.77 Jacques van Rensburg Stellenbosch , SA 25 Feb 95 13 7:47.78 Anton Nicolaisen Stellenbosch , SA 13 Feb 90 14 7:48.35 Francois van Rensburg Jena , Germany 3 Jun 94 15 7:48.7h Julian Marsay Stellenbosch , SA 15 Feb 79 16 7:48.75 Johan Landsman Stellenbosch , SA 10 Feb 92 17 7:48.97 Marius-Hugo Schlechter Stellenbosch , SA 13 Feb 90 18 7:49.43 Tshamano Setone Tangier , Morocco 18 Jul 10

Adriaan Wildschuut

19 7:49.6h Ewald Bonzet Stellenbosch , SA , 15 Mar 76 Key : * = Current SA Record • h = Hand-timed

Frank Shorter is the only man in the history of the Olympic Games to win the marathon in the city of his birth . The American did so on this day in Munich , Germany , where his parents were stationed on military duty when Frank was born in 1947 . That Olympic Marathon saw 74 athletes starting at 3pm and completing three laps around the track before exiting the stadium , with reigning Olympic champion , Mamo Wolde of Ethiopia , back to defend his title . He also hoped it would be a good omen that fellow countryman Abebe Bikila had won the first of his two Olympic Marathon titles in Rome 12 years before to the day .

However , his dreams were soon shattered when Shorter , who had finished fifth in the Olympic 10000m a week earlier , deviated from his usual strategy of waiting until late in the race to make a move . The American surged ahead after only 9km and the others let him go as he steadily widened the gap – it was 5 seconds at 15km , 31 seconds at 20km , and 53 seconds at 25km . He went on to win by a whopping 2 minutes 12 seconds in a personal best 2:12:20 , from Karel Lismont ( Belgium , 2:14:32 ) and Wolde ( 2:15:09 ), to become the first US winner since 1908 . His victory margin of more than two minutes has not been surpassed since in an Olympic marathon . Four years later in Montreal , Shorter would run almost two minutes faster but finish second .

Frank Shorter

South African Road List Leaders for 2023 ( As at 4 September 2023 ) This section lists the best South African official performances this year in each of the most popular official road distances .

MEN

WOMEN

KEY | a – Aided course , e . g . point-to-point , and therefore not record-legal • i – Time recorded officially during a longer race

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