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Where The Two Oceans Meet

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The name of the Two Oceans Marathon was only adopted for the third edition of the race, and it required some serious brainstorming and debate to arrive at the now-famous name. – By Sean Falconer

After two successful editions of the Celtic 35 Mile Road Race in 1970 and 1971, Celtic Harriers agreed to make it an official club event, and authorised Dave Venter to look for a sponsor for the 1972 race. His employers, BP Southern Africa, declined the opportunity, and that saw Venter approach a keen supporter of the race, Bryan Grieve of The Argus newspaper, who introduced him to The Argus Promotions Department. The newspaper agreed to sponsor the race, with the proviso that it had a definite Cape flavour.

This led to a meeting of Celtic Harriers members at the Grand Hotel in Strand Street, Cape Town, to discuss a new name for the event. Among the suggestions tabled was Harold Berman’s ‘Inter Oceans Marathon,’ while Venter proposed ‘Oceans to Oceans,’ but it was eventually Noel Stamper who came up with the winning name, the ‘Two Oceans Marathon.’ This new name was welcomed by The Argus, who agreed to publicise the race, print race numbers and certificates for finishers, and present a new trophy for the winner. Thus the race became known as The Argus Two Oceans Marathon.

Putting Plans in Place

Next Venter formed a Celtic Harriers sub-committee, comprising John Masureik, Noel Stamper and himself, to plan the race and handle negotiations with sponsors and partners. This included another meeting at the Grand Hotel, where the Lions Club agreed to organise various refreshment and activity stalls at Brookside on race day. Furthermore, the Celtic Harriers team wanted spectators at Brookside to be kept entertained, so they organised a programme of sports events, including seven-a-side rugby and a demonstration of para-sports. It was decided to make two trophies available for the ‘Fastest Last Lap’ of the field at Brookside, one for veterans (40 and older), and one for non-veterans.

The sub-committee undertook to advertise the race to runners from other provinces, buying up postcards with Terence McNally’s portraits of the Cape and sending them to runners all over the country. This resulted in a record number of 115 entries, including runners from Laingsburg, East London, Durban, Pietermaritzburg and Johannesburg, and even two entries from Botswana and one from Australia.

 

At the post-race prize-giving, His Worship the Mayor of Cape Town, Dick Friedlander, told the runners that the Two Oceans Marathon was quickly growing into a Cape Town tradition, and this sentiment was echoed by The Argus committing to another year’s sponsorship. Meanwhile, the runners themselves also gave the race their wholehearted approval. As Boet Rabie of East London put it, “Your race has everything, and after the wonderful time we had, you can rest assured of a good entry from East London in future years.” Roland Davey of Durban summed it up in even fewer words: “A long distance to travel, but well worth the effort.”

A Hotly Debated Topic

Some believe that Cape Point at the southern tip of the Cape Peninsula is where the warm Agulhas Current flowing down from the tropics in the Indian Ocean meets the cold Benguela Current flowing up from Antarctica in the Atlantic Ocean. Meanwhile, others maintain that they meet at the southernmost point of the African continent, Cape Agulhas, about 175km south-east of Cape Town

The Two Oceans Marathon has always had one foot in either ocean. This is because the race runs past the warmer waters off Muizenberg, Kalk Bay and Fish Hoek on the eastern side of the Peninsula, then passes the much colder waters off Noordhoek and Hout Bay on the western side. Ask any runner who has stopped for a dip along the way and they will tell you there is a big difference in temperature between east and west!

As a result, while the International Hydrographic Organisation officially recognises the waters of False Bay as part of the Atlantic Ocean, the Two Oceans Marathon prefers to think of the False Bay side of the route as the ‘Atlantic Ocean touched by the Indian Ocean.’ Meanwhile, given the debate over where the two oceans actually meet – Cape Point versus Cape Agulhas – there have been people who objected strongly to the name of the Two Oceans Marathon. As former Celtic Harriers Club Secretary Harold Berman explains, “The event was actually threatened with legal action twice in the 1980s, unless we agreed to change the name of the race. These weren’t actual lawsuits, just a threat to issue summons, because we were told that we were assuming incorrectly that the two oceans met at Cape Point. We never argued that point, but felt that the name of the event should stay.”

Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series excited to welcome Tshwane as its latest destination

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Stillwater Sports, the organizer of SA’s award-winning road running series is excited to welcome Tshwane as the latest destination of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series with the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K set to make its debut on Sunday 27 August 2023.

Featuring five groundbreaking events in 2023, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series is more than just a series of traditional road races, this premium series has redefined the concept of mass participation, encouraging walkers, lifestyle enthusiasts, friends, and families, as well as elites both locally and from abroad to come together and take part in the most experiential road running events in the country.

“We are proud to bring the excitement of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series to Tshwane, a city that possesses all the qualities necessary to host a world-class 10km road run,” said Managing Director of Stillwater Sports and Founder of the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series, Michael Meyer who was speaking at the official Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K launch function that was hosted at the Premier Hotel in Pretoria today (21 June).

“We would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to both the City of Tshwane and Athletics Gauteng North (AGN) for their invaluable support in making this event a reality. Their unwavering commitment, collaboration, and shared vision have been instrumental in bringing this exciting road run to Tshwane. The city’s exceptional infrastructure, cultural heritage, and warm hospitality provides the perfect backdrop for participants to embark on a memorable journey, while AGN’s dedication to promoting athletics and fostering a thriving running community has been truly inspiring.”

“Our aim is to create an unforgettable experience that transcends traditional road runs, inspiring a passion for athletics and sparking a culture of health and well-being,” continues Meyer. “With its scenic routes and inclusive atmosphere, the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K will not only showcase the beauty of its host city, but also provide a platform for athletes to showcase their talent and compete at the highest level. We are confident that this event will have a lasting impact on athletics in the region, attracting participants from all backgrounds, while encouraging a lifelong love for running.”

“We received a lot of interest from Absa colleagues, customers and community members when we hosted the first Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series in Gauteng last year. The extension of the series to two more cities, including Tshwane, came at the right time as we want to ensure that this event is accessible to all. Our biggest goal has always been to grow this platform and encourage more people to have an active lifestyle, while we get closer to our colleagues, customers, and most importantly, the communities in which we operate, and we are excited to activate in Tshwane,” said Absa Regional Segment Head, Premium, Jolene Grobler.

“Through the Absa Force for Good initiative, we will be able to change lives in this beautiful city and push people to their limits. For every 1km run/walked by Team Absa Walk Run members on Strava, Absa will donate R1 towards a worthy cause in the community of Tshwane. We look forward to welcoming thousands of participants on 27 August to create a meaningful impact in a fun way,” said Grobler.

Meyer closes off saying: “Together with the City, AGN, Title Sponsor, Absa and key sponsors such as PUMA, DHL and Chery to mention just a few, we are proud to celebrate the event’s debut by bringing world class performances and unparalleled excitement to the streets of Tshwane. We look forward to hosting an event that showcases the best of Tshwane’s spirit, athleticism, and community engagement.”

“We are thrilled to welcome the Absa RUN YOUR CITY Series to Tshwane,” says City of Tshwane MMC Member of Mayoral Council, Peggy de Bruin. “The event represents a remarkable opportunity for our city to shine on the global stage, uniting runners from near and far in a celebration of athleticism, culture, and the indomitable spirit of Tshwane. We welcome participants and spectators with open arms as we showcase the beauty of our city’s landscapes, the richness of our heritage, and the warmth of our community. Get ready to witness Tshwane come alive with the energy and excitement of this monumental event.”

“As Athletics Gauteng North, we are excited and thrilled about the partnership with Stillwater Sports in delivering a successful inaugural Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K, that will benefit the club members, provincial elite athletes as well as providing a boost to the sport at grassroots level,” says President of Athletics Gauteng North, Mr Hendrick Mokganyetsi. “Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.”

To find out more and to enter the event, visit the race website https://runyourcityseries.com/tshwane-10k/

 

The People’s Race Will Happen!

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First it was cancelled, then it was on again… this has been the yo-yo experience for the running community today as news broke about the Soweto Marathon. As a long-term media partner to the race, Modern Athlete got in touch with the ‘right’ people to get to the bottom of what is really going on.

On Wednesday morning, we woke to the news that the 2023 Soweto Marathon had been cancelled due to an ongoing dispute regarding the broadcast rights for the race, and the funding received for these rights. Thankfully, a few hours later news broke that the 28th edition of the event known as the People’s Race will go ahead as scheduled on Sunday 5 November.

The original media release announcing the cancellation of the race was apparently issued on Tuesday evening or Wednesday morning, and quoted Soweto Marathon Trust (SMT) Chairman Sello Khunou directly, so it appeared to have been issued by the SMT. This media release laid the blame for the cancellation squarely at the feet of Athletics South Africa (ASA) and Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA).

However, according to a statement released today by provincial athletics body, Central Gauteng Athletics (CGA), Khunou as well as General Secretary Ishe Sadiki and Board Member Pamela Tainton had already been suspended by the provincial federation the previous week, for bringing the sport into disrepute, and they each face a potential two-year suspension from all athletics activities, subject to a disciplinary and appeal process. The original press release therefore appears to have been released following their suspension.

Furthermore, on Sunday 18 June, CGA met with 15 of the 17 Soweto athletics clubs that make up the SMT, to ensure that the race will be hosted successfully following the suspension of the above Trust members. According to CGA, the clubs welcomed the suspension of the three members and indicated to CGA that the race must take place in 2023. Note: The Soweto athletics clubs are the beneficiaries of the Soweto Marathon, and both the event and these Soweto clubs are affiliated to CGA, and through the provincial federation, also to Athletics South Africa (ASA).

Getting Back on Track

When asked about the unfortunate turn of events, newly elected SMT Board Member Thokozani Mazibuko said, “This is not what we as the Soweto Marathon Trust wanted or expected. Our focus is to find a solution to the problem and get the 2023 People’s Race on track. The sudden announcement of cancellation from disgruntled members created panic and was completely unnecessary.”

He added that the Trust, the Board, and the relevant athletics bodies are all committed to ensuring the race happens, saying, “Our message to the runners planning on tackling the Soweto Marathon in November is that our 2023 edition is happening, and we can’t wait to welcome you to the streets of Soweto.”

We also spoke to long-standing Race Director, Danny Blumberg, and he assured us that while the opening of entries has been delayed due to these internal issues, this is in no way holding up the organisation of the 2023 edition of the race. “My team is working hard in the background to ensure that when we are able to open entries, everything will be on track to make sure that this edition of the People’s Race is as good as runners expect it to be,” he said.

The Soweto Marathon has been a much-loved fixture on the running calendar for nearly three decades, and we look forward to bringing you all the news, including the opening date for entries, expected to be announced soon!

Venter’s Visionary Race

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The Totalsports Two Oceans Marathon was first run in 1970, and there is an interesting story behind that first edition of what is now one of the biggest and most internationally renowned races in South Africa. – By Sean Falconer

The fledgling idea for the Two Oceans Marathon was born in the late 1960s when former Durban-based runner Dave Venter was transferred to Cape Town by his then employers, BP Southern Africa. To his great disappointment, Venter found that running in the Cape was very much behind Durban, where the 90km Comrades Marathon had been on the calendar since 1921. He had been a keen member of Savages Athletic Club and had run his first Comrades in 1967, just a year after starting to run at age 36, but in the Cape in 1968, there were only a handful of marathons to choose from and no ultra-marathons.

Venter ran the Stellenbosch Marathon, which only had about 20 entrants, and then had to wait several months for the Western Province Marathon in Bellville, which attracted a mere five entrants. Shortly after this, he took two months’ leave and returned to Natal to run his second Comrades, as well as the Bergville/Ladysmith Ultra. He was actually playing with the idea of asking BP for a transfer back to Natal, but after discussing it with former clubmate Gerry Treloar of Savages, he decided to give the Cape another chance. This after Treloar said, “Now that you’re there, why don’t you try and improve long-distance running in Cape Town?”

That convinced Venter to try to start an ultra with a similar distance to the Bergville/Ladysmith, around 35 miles, as he reasoned that runners in Cape Town planning to run the Comrades would enter it as a training run. However, when he took the idea to Celtic Harriers, the club committee said they didn’t feel there was any need for such a race in Cape Town.

The Western Province Amateur Athletic Association (WPAAA) also turned the idea down, but help was at hand. Through Celtic Harriers secretary Harold Berman, Dave was introduced to The Argus sports reporter Bryan Grieve, who lent his public support to the idea. At the same time, Stewart Banner was elected chairman of the WPAAA, and he too gave a favourable response, so Venter decided to try again. He went back to Celtic Harriers and said if the club would give him its backing, he would take care of all arrangements and ensure the club was not involved in any way.

Convincing the Doubters

With that agreement in place, Venter attended a WPAAA committee meeting in late 1969, and after a heated debate, he was finally given permission to hold the race on 2 May 1970 – just one week after the Peninsula Marathon, in spite of the small number of long distance races on the calendar at that time. Interestingly, the most outspoken critic of the idea was journalist and statistician Harry Beinart, who said he did not see the point of a 35-mile event!

Meanwhile, the WPAAA said the race should take place in May, at the end of the track and field season, so as not to impact other events on the calendar, and added one further strict condition: The race should not interfere with the cross country event scheduled for that afternoon – and Celtic Harriers echoed this condition!

With that hurdle out the way, Venter had an easy decision to make. His favourite training route ran through Muizenberg, Fish Hoek and Noordhoek, over Chapman’s Peak Drive, through Hout Bay, up Constantia Nek Drive and Rhodes Drive, down past Kirstenbosch, offering an incredibly scenic route measuring the approximate distance he was looking for, so the choice of route was simple. He also found a suitable venue for the start and finish by asking BP if he could use their Impala Park grounds in Newlands, and BP donated a floating trophy for the winner.

Getting to the Start Line

The race flyer for the first Celtic 35 Mile Road Race duly went out, with extra emphasis on this being a perfect training run for those planning to run the Comrades. The entry fee was set at 50 cents, with entries closing on 29 April. Runners would need to supply their own seconds to compliment the sponges and drinks available at the 10, 20 and 30-mile markers, where timekeepers would be stationed to record each runner’s progress. The top three finishers would receive prizes, thanks to Venter donating some of the prizes he’d won in Durban, and he also contributed another R6 in order to buy a few extra awards.

Race day arrived, with a small but intrepid group of 24 runners lining up on a wet, blustery morning in Newlands. Dirkie Steyn would go on to win that first edition of the race, in 3:55:50 – and remarkably, he ran the entire race barefoot! It was the start of 50-plus years of incredible running around the Cape Peninsula, and out of that first, small race was to grow one of the biggest running events on the South African calendar.

Four in a Row for Gerda, and Givemore Catches the Big Fish!

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While Givemore Mudzinganyama landed ‘the big fish’ to win the men’s title at the 2023 edition of the Totalsports Two Oceans 56km Ultra Marathon, the women’s race was once again a triumph for Gerda Steyn, who raced to a second consecutive course record, and an unprecedented fourth successive win in ‘The World’s Most Beautiful Marathon.’

Steyn simply had too much speed and strength for the valiant Ethiopian quartet of Amelwork Bosho, Yeshiemebet Nguse, Tinebeb Ali and Ashakech Yami, who claimed four Two Oceans gold medals for their country – another first in Two Oceans history.

While Steyn’s husband, Duncan Ross, is an airline pilot, it was the Free State-born athlete who was doing the flying in this race. Although slowing slightly on the race’s biggest climb up Constantia Nek, she had enough in the bag to be able to savour her moment of victory, high-fiving fans in the finish straight as she came home in 3 hours 29 minutes and six seconds. This shaved another 36 seconds off the stunning 3:29:42 she posted last year to finally eclipse the legendary Frith van der Merwe’s magic mark of 3:30:36, which had stood since 1989.

The new course record doubled Steyn’s R250,000 first prize to half a million, thanks to the record incentive of R250,000 put up by title sponsor Totalsports, and the win also earned her the use of a Kia car for twelve months, both in South Africa and abroad, thanks to the event’s official vehicle sponsor.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotional at the finish,” remarked Steyn in the post-race press conference. “My whole family was here to welcome me. I just love this race, and will certainly be back next year, and hopefully for many years to come.

“My main aim was simply to go for my fourth win. I was racing head-to-head with the Ethiopian athletes for the first half and on Chappies before I was able to move ahead.  But I thought the record might come if I maintained a good pace. At 50km, I worked out that if I ran 3:30 per kilometre to the finish, I still would still have a few extra seconds to enjoy the moment!” she added.

Remarkably, Steyn did those calculations in her head while running at a high intensity, after 50km of tough racing, no doubt using skills learnt in her former career as a qualified quantity surveyor. “This was a much more enjoyable race than last year’s one,” admitted Steyn. “I did experience a tough patch on Constantia Nek, but nothing like the ‘dark place’ I had to run through last year. But looking back, I’m pleased I had to endure that last year, as it gave me another tool which I can use in racing.”

Making the Right Move

Zimbabwe-born and Johannesburg-based Mudzinganyama came into the 2023 Two Oceans with a limited record in the event. He finished 12th in the 2015 Half Marathon, and then earned an impressive runners-up medal behind Kane Reilly in the 2018 Long Trail race. After experiencing considerable success as a trail athlete, including a hattrick of wins at the Cape Town Peace Trail 21km and partnering Edwin Sesipi to victory in the AFRICANX Trailrun, Mudzinganyama pondered his future as an athlete.

“I love trail running, but you can’t easily make a living in that discipline,” admitted Mudzinganyama. “So, after working at the ASICS shoe store in Johannesburg, I opted to become a full-time professional athlete and joined up with Hendrick Ramaala and his club, Entsika.”

But it was a lesson in fishing that was responsible for Mudzinganyama’s path to Oceans glory. “I was struck by what our manager said at our club’s end of year meeting last November,” said Mudzinganyama. “He said that while you could earn some smaller income with running regular shorter-distance road races, if you can ‘catch one big fish a year,’ you could make a real living. He was talking about the big races in South Africa, including Two Oceans, Comrades, Cape Town Marathon and Soweto Marathon. I liked what he said, and decided to try to catch my fish in the Two Oceans!  Training with Coach Ramaala’s running group at Zoo Lake has made a big difference and prepared me well for today.”

Close Racing at the Top

Mudzinganyama’s win was a product of good planning, great timing and superb execution, but it didn’t come easily. Shaking off charismatic Nedbank athlete, Dan Matshailwe, in the final quarter of the climb to Constantia Nek, Mudzinganyama surged past Maxed Elite’s race leader, Lesotho’s Lebello Mopenyane, on the approach to Kirstenbosch. However, Matshailwe’s race was not yet run, and he came back strongly, and also in the mix was last year’s runner-up, Nkosikhona Mhlakwana, who finally found his race legs and was flying through the field to set up a thrilling finish for the second successive year.

It was anyone’s race, but Mudzinganyama was as good as his name, and ‘gave a little more’ when he needed it most. Although the Mpumalanga-based Matshailwe put in a storming finish after struggling with his quadriceps earlier, the Zimbabwean was never going to concede victory and he held on in superb style to claim victory in 3:09:56. Matshailwe crossed the line 23 seconds later, with Mhakwana 21 seconds further back in third.

Remarkably, just as was the case last year, the first two across the line were Two Oceans Ultra Marathon debutants, with Mudzinganyama racing further than he has ever done before.  Entiska gained their second gold medal with Msawenkosi Mthalane coming home fourth, 40 seconds clear of Mopenyane, who had led race from shortly before halfway until he was overhauled by Mudzinganyama just over 5 km from home. Six clubs shared the 10 gold medals on offer, with Maxed Elite bagging three golds, Ensika and Nedbank two each, and one each from Hollywood, Phantane and Murray & Roberts.

Fighting for the Podium

Meanwhile, the women’s race was an intense affair in the early stages as the lead quintet jockeyed for position. Steyn seemed to have made the decisive break on Chapman’s Peak, but the game Ethiopian athlete, Ali, momentarily regained the joint lead with her on the Chappies descent. Once Ali conceded defeat and dropped back again, there was little doubt as to the destiny of the 2023 winner’s trophy as Steyn powered away again, but the battle for the rest of the podium places delivered its share of excitement.

After a deliberately conservative start, another Ethiopian, Bosho, moved up through the field, overhauling her compatriots in the final quarter of the race to move into second place.  Running strongly, she looked certain for second, but a fast-finishing Carla Molinaro, who returned to Cape Town and the land of her birth at the end of last year ‘to find some sun’ after an extended period in Great Britain, appeared out of nowhere, closing fast on Bosho.

In the end, Bosho clinched second in 3:41:29, a massive 12 minutes 23 seconds behind Steyn, but just nine seconds clear of a flying Molinaro. “That was the run of my life,” said the delighted Molinaro, who raced through the standard marathon mark in Hout Bay in 2:46, just a few seconds off her personal best for that distance. “I can’t believe my race today – it was just perfect!”