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INSPIRATION
Eddie Andrews will put aside his duties as Deputy Mayor of the City of Cape Town to tackle his sixth Two Oceans Half Marathon
“ The scrums and collisions once defined their roles in green and gold. Now the steady rhythm of footsteps writes a new chapter for these two former giants of the rugby front row.”
Annalien will line up alongside him for her first ultra marathon, and running together will turn the long coastal road into something deeper than a race.“ I told her, if you start something, you finish it,” he says – and he has lived up to those words at Two Oceans. He has three medals in the Ultra, having completed the race in 2010, 2016 and 2025, but also has two DNFs next to his name, from 2018 and 2019. But he still finished those races, crossing the line in 7:15 in 2018 and 7:43 in 2019. As he says, if you start it, you finish it!
The Alderman’ s First Step
The running journey for Andrews, who is currently also serving as the Deputy Mayor of the City of Cape Town, began far from the world of ultras. The former Springbok strongman, who earned 23 Test caps between 2004 and 2007, discovered running through the simple rhythm of parkrun.“ A journey of a thousand miles starts with the first step,” he says,“ and my running journey started in 2016 with parkrun. Run, walk or crawl!”
Those early five-kilometre outings planted a seed that steadily grew into a passion for road running, and Andrews soon found himself lining up for his first Two Oceans outing that same year, completing the Half Marathon in 2:44:52. Eventually he joined a running club and expanded his ambitions, and in 2018 he completed his first marathon at the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon.
The transformation from rugby enforcer to endurance runner still surprises many who remember Andrews’ days in the Springbok scrum. He began his provincial career in 2000 with Western Province, going on to make his Super Rugby debut in 2003 for the Stormers. His first cap for the Springboks followed in 2004, and that season he helped the team win the Tri Nations trophy. He eventually finished with 23 caps for the Boks, before retiring in 2007 due to a recurring back injury
A Road That Welcomes All
Many believe that props are designed for short, explosive battles rather than long climbs and endless kilometres, yet Andrews has embraced the slow poison of distance running. In particular, he singles out the closing kilometres of a race as the part that challenges him the most.“ You know, I’ m often fighting some demons at the end there, but it’ s all about crossing that line, no matter the pace. It’ s about finishing the race,” says Andrews.
The Two Oceans Half Marathon has become a familiar milestone in Andrews’ running calendar, and the 2026 race will mark his sixth appearance in the event. That number carries significance within the culture of the event, as well as for Andrews. Runners who complete ten editions earn a coveted Blue Number, and Andrews says,“ This is my sixth Two Oceans Half, so I am almost there. I’ m going to go for it!”
However, for the former Springbok prop, the Two Oceans represents something greater than personal milestones. The event brings together thousands of runners from every background and ability level, from elite athletes chasing victory at the front of the field, all the way to those who just want to cross the finish line, like himself. And he believes more former rugby players could benefit from being part of the road running community.“ This is a challenge to all ex- Springbok rugby players to do it as well,” Andrews said.“ Run the races, be in the community of runners, and have other conversations.”
Strength in a Different Form
The transformation of Hurter and Andrews illustrates how endurance sport reshapes athletes in unexpected ways. In rugby, the front row thrives on explosive bursts of strength. Running asks for patience, pacing and resilience that unfolds over hours. The road becomes a long conversation between body and mind, and each kilometre adds another sentence to that dialogue.
When Hurter climbs toward the finish of the Two Oceans Ultra yet again, and Andrews strides toward his sixth half marathon medal, they will carry the memories of another sporting life behind them. The scrums and collisions once defined their roles in green and gold. Now the steady rhythm of footsteps writes a new chapter for these two former giants of the rugby front row. The road stretches ahead of them like an open playbook, waiting to be written stride by stride.
About the Author
Adnaan Mohamed is a Cape Town-based freelance journalist with many years of experience covering all sporting codes, with a particular interest in running and rugby. An avid runner himself, he has completed The Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon 18 times, and also has two medals in the Half Marathon as well as one finish in the Long Trail Run.
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