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CHASING
The course records in the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra Marathon have only been held by a total of eight men and 10 women in the 54-year history of the event, showing just how prestigious a record it is to claim! Here’ s a deeper dive into the record progression of this iconic ultra marathon. – BY SEAN FALCONER
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The Men’ s Record
The first course record for the Two Oceans Ultra was set in 1970 when Dirkie Steyn won the inaugural race, and that mark was improved seven times in the 1970’ s and a further three times in the 1980’ s. Thompson Magawana was the last to set a course record in 1988 when he clocked a remarkable 3:03:44 to not only improve his own record, but he also set new World Best marks for 30 miles and 50km along the way.
Images: Two Oceans Marathon, Action Photo SA
PROGRESSION OF THE MEN’ S COURSE RECORD 1970 Dirkie Steyn 3:55:50 1971 Rob Knutzen 3:42:31 1972 Don Hartley 3:25:12 1973 Don Hartley 3:24:06 1974 Derek Preiss 3:21:40 1976 Vincent Rakabaele 3:18:05 1977 Brian Chamberlain 3:15:22 1979 Vincent Rakabaele 3:08:56 1981 Johnny Halberstadt 3:05:37 1987 Thompson Magawana 3:05:31 1988 Thompson Magawana 3:03:44
The Women’ s Record
The initial women’ s course record was run by Ulla Paul in 1975 – the first year that women were officially allowed to enter – and that record was improved three times in the 1970’ s and a further seven times in the 1980’ s. The course record was claimed by Frith van der Merwe in 1989, when she finished in 3:30:36 and also set new world bests for 30 miles and 50km on the way to her win. That record seemed unbeatable until Gerda Steyn broke through the 3:30 barrier in 2022, then subsequently improved her own record in both of the next two races, bringing it down to the current 3:26:54.
PROGRESSION OF THE WOMEN’ S COURSE RECORD 1975 Ulla Paul 5:14:51 1976 Marie-Jeanne Duyvejonck 5:01:07 1978 Janet Bailey 4:34:28 1979 Diane Alperstein 4:22:58 1980 Gail Ingram 4:14:05 1981 Gail Ingram 4:11:31 1982 Beverley Malan 3:59:08 1983 Beverley Malan 3:57:32 1984 Helen Lucre 3:52:20 1988 Monica Drögemöller 3:44:29 1989 Frith van der Merwe 3:30:36 2022 Gerda Steyn 3:29:42 2023 Gerda Steyn 3:29:06 2024 Gerda Steyn 3:26:54
Thompson Magawana’ s men’ s course record still stands after 37 years
Multiple Record-breakers
Out of eight men to set a course record in the Two Oceans Ultra, only three could do so more than once. Similarly, only three of the 10 women to break the course record have done so more than once, but Gerda Steyn now leads the way with three course records.
MOST COURSE RECORDS 3 Gerda Steyn 2022, 2023, 2024 2 Don Hartley 1972, 1973 2 Vincent Rakabaele 1976, 1979 2 Gail Ingram 1980, 1981 2 Beverley Malan 1982, 1983
2 Thompson Magawana 1987, 1988
Venerable Records
Both Magawana and Van der Merwe set their records in the late 1980s on the original route that finished at the Brookside Sport Grounds, which is considered to be slightly easier than the current route ending at UCT, which has been used since 1998. That’ s due to the fact that the old route featured a largely downhill or flat final section once the runners passed Kirstenbosch, whereas the current route has a more challenging uphill run-in to the finish at UCT. As a result, Magawana’ s men’ s course record still stands after 37 years, with Marko Mambo’ s 3:05:39 in 2005 the closest any man has come to the record since then. In contrast, Van der Merwe’ s women’ s record has been beaten by Steyn, but it stood for 32 years before finally being beaten.
LONGEST-STANDING RECORDS
Gerda Steyn now dominates the women’ s course record stats
37 years 1988-2026 Thompson Magawana 3:03:44 32 years 1989-2022 Frith van der Merwe 3:30:36 6 years 1981-1987 Johnny Halberstadt 3:05:37 4 years 1984-1988 Helen Lucre 3:52:20
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