BLUE NUMBER CLUB
Siphiwe Gqele
Lucille Damon
more than 40 times ! This extremely select Quadruple Blue miniclub is led by Louis Massyn and Tony Abrahamson , who will be aiming to finish a remarkable 46th and 45th Ultra respectively . To date , the following eight runners have joined the Quadruple Blue Club :
• Louis Massyn ( 45 medals )
• Tony Abrahamson ( 44 medals )
• John Mugglestone ( 42 medals )
• Mark Wagenheim ( 42 medals )
• Noel Stamper ( 41 medals )
• Ian Bocock ( 41 medals )
• Paul Leader ( 41 medals )
• Hercu Hofmeyr ( 40 medals )
Abrahamson , now 72 , ran his first Two Oceans Marathon in 1971 while studying at UCT , but during the 1970s he skipped a few races because he worked up-country or overseas . However , from 1980 to 2019 , he ran all the Two Oceans Ultra Marathons back-to-back . Sadly , he missed the 2022 race due to falling ill , but is back again in 2023 . Massyn , a year younger at 71 , hails from the Free State and began his Two Oceans journey in 1976 , maintaining a remarkable streak of consecutive finishes in the race ever since . Even mor remarkable is that he has also finished the Comrades Marathon 47 times – the second-most ever , behind Barry
Holland ’ s 48 finishes .
Going into the 2023 race , there are four men on 39 medals , but one of them , John Brimble is not entered this year . The other three , who will all be chasing that 40th finish , are Colin Bonthuys , Graham Channon and Mark Raubenheimer . For 61-year-old Raubenheimer , who runs for the Pirates Road Running Club in Johannesburg , the day will be made all the more special , as he will have his kids running with him on the day to raise funds for charity .
Triple Blue Women to Double
Women were only allowed to officially enter the Two Oceans Marathon in 1975 , thus missing the first five editions of the 51 editions of the race to date . Furthermore , in the those early years of women ’ s participation , there were far less women running ultras , so no women have yet reached 40 finishes , but Lucille Damon from Foresters Running Club in Tokai , Cape Town , holds the impressive feat of being the only woman to date to complete 30 Two Oceans Ultra Marathons .
The Wynberg Girls ’ High School teacher ran all her Two Oceans Ultras consecutively , from 1990 to 2019 , then decided to ‘ retire ’ from the Ultra . After missing two years because of the COVID pandemic , she ran her first Two Oceans Half Marathon in 2022 , but this year , she is back in the Ultra . So , when she lines up to attempt her 31st voyage , she will be the only woman sporting a Blue Number with three laurels , one for each of her 10 completed ultras .
This year will also see one more female runner going for her 30th finish . When Sharon Eldridge finished her 29th Two Oceans Ultra Marathon last year , her partner , Colin Bosch , who had just finished his 20th ultra , proposed on the finish line . The two Old Selbornian Road Runners from East London will now line up in 2023 as a married couple , with Sharon going for her triple laurel and Colin for his 21st medal .
Meet up With Fellow Blues
So , for those runners who have completed nine voyages and are looking to join the Blue Number Club , there will be a special BNC tent at the registration area at the CTICC , as well as at the finish on race day . This is where fellow BNC members encourage each other before the race , celebrate their special achievement on race day , and welcome new members to this select club .
Sharon Eldridge and Colin Bosch
15
Gerda Steyn