Race programme from the first Jackie Gibson Marathon
THE RUNNING MANN
C o l u m n military reconnaissance operation . As he had run for Johannesburg Harriers , the club honoured his memory after the war ended with a marathon bearing his name . ( Sidenote : With Coleman pipping Gibson the man to the finish line on several occasions , it is sadly ironic that Johannesburg City is doing the same to Jackie Gibson the marathon .)
A Legendary Marathon
I remember sitting down in front of my laptop after the 2018 race , wondering how I was going to describe what is perhaps the grittiest , most authentic marathon in South Africa . I try to bring out the ‘ personality ’ of each marathon I write about , and was quite proud of the eventual race report – and it proved a favourite with readers . I called the Jackie Gibson , “ The Texas Chainsaw
Massacre of marathons ,” and wrote that “ connoisseurs of pain , horror and gore will love it , whilst the weak and squeamish will hate every minute .”
I described the route as follows , “ You start about a mile above sea-level on a hill . You then run 12km of AFH * after another . If you haven ’ t yet burst a takkie , you can cash in on your investment with an easy 8km of downhill with just one more FH thrown in over this section ( to make sure you don ’ t get complacent ). Of course , you can ’ t finish on a downhill , so they fit one final FH into the last kilometre and you ’ re back where you started . Rinse and repeat – and you have completed Jackie Gibson .” (* Sidenote : If you can ’ t figure out what AFH stands for , you ’ ll need to read that 2018 race report here .)
Back in the day , the Jackie Gibson was a big-name race where the top runners on the Highveld duked it out as vital preparation for Comrades . Those with a long attachment to the Jackie Gibson Marathon therefore naturally feel a strong sense of bereavement with its demise . For example , former winner and legend of South African distance running , Alan Robb , expressed disappointment at the news . “ So sad to know the Jackie Gibson name is no longer . I remember winning in 1978 , when we still finished at Southern Suburbs Club .” ( That was the same year that Robb won the third of his four Comrades titles .)
One of the most vocal critics of the decision to ‘ retire ’ the Jackie Gibson is Derick Marcisz , a Johannesburg Harriers life member now living in the Cape , who was also a two-time winner of the race . He was the first runner to break the 2:30 barrier on the Jackie Gibson , with his 2:27 victory in 1976 , and he knocked another minute off the record in 1977 . Marcisz notes that his winning times were much faster than that of recent victors of the race , as well as this year ’ s Johannesburg City Marathon winner , Raphael Segodi in 2:27:24 . “ In recent years , Jackie Gibson winners couldn ’ t even go under 2:30 , but back in the 70s and 80s , fewer races meant the top guys raced each other often , so local races were much more competitive ,” says Marcisz . ( Sidenote : After Segodi ’ s winning 2:27 this year , no other runner was able to go under 2:30 , and only 16 runners beat the three-hour barrier . The women ’ s race was won by Rene Kalmer in 3:06:14 .)
One of the many ‘ AFHs ’ at the Jackie Gibson Marathon
Marcisz also recalls that there was still a strong connection to the Gibson name in those days , and although there was no prize money – road running still being strictly amateur – the Gibson family donated a leather travelling suitcase as the winning prize , which was presented to him by Jackie Gibson ’ s sister . “ For me it ’ s just sad to throw away a 78-year history like this . Johannesburg Harriers is a club that formed my running career , I ran for Harriers for 28 years and served on the committee for many years ,” says Marcisz .
The Reason for Change
I asked Johannesburg Harriers Club Spokesperson , Nathalie Roelf , about replacing the Jackie Gibson Marathon with the inaugural Johannesburg City Marathon . She explained that organising road running races in the Johannesburg Metropolitan area has become a very expensive exercise , and the Jackie Gibson has not had a sponsor large enough to sustain the race since Springbok Pharmacy pulled out several years ago . “ As organisers , when we went out to seek sponsors , the Jackie Gibson brand was difficult to sell ,” she said . “ If we continued to run the race as is , it was no longer going to be financially viable , and 2024 would have been the last year Johannesburg Harriers would have been able to host a race .” Essentially , she says it was a choice of , “ Finding innovative ways to continue the Johannesburg Harriers marathon legacy , or perish .”
The “ Johannesburg Marathon ” title has been a hotly contested property over the last few years , with several clubs asking Central Gauteng Athletics for the right to use the name for their events . It seems fitting that Johannesburg Harriers , at 120 the oldest running club in Gauteng , has been given that honour , and the marketability that goes with it .
I participated in the 2024 event and noted that a host of sponsors had come onboard , including Mercedes Benz – The Glen , Hollywood Bets , Balwin Properties and JP Engineering . As Roelf explained , “ Lots of companies have shown interest in the Johannesburg City Marathon . In the future , we are positive that we will have sufficient sponsors to sustain the race . And a simple answer is that the Johannesburg City Marathon is easier to sell than Jackie Gibson Marathon .” It is also worth pointing out that Johannesburg Harriers is not a professional
Route profile from the ‘ Texas Chainsaw Massacre ’ of marathons
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