A road trip down memory lane
“The showpiece of Alberton athletics”, was how the annual road race in Alberton was described thirty years ago.
ALBERTON – It is still the showpiece today and Alberton Athletics Club at the Alberton Sport Stadium, with its long standing tradition of hosting the perfect road race since the first Saturday in December 1982, is the perfect backdrop for this year’s race to live up to its name on Sunday, November 29.
The first winner of the Alberton half-marathon was Charles Vilikazi in 66:13 in 1982. Top SA athlete Ernest Seleke from ERPM set a new record the following year with his time of 64:58 seconds in 1983.
Another hotshot Kenny Jacobs took the honours on December 5, 1984, in Randfontein colours, in a time of 66:29. Those days Alberton runners were allowed to compete (not only as helpers) and the race’s record books of 1984 reflected the names of some Alberton history makers in years to come.
Herman Mulder, 18 years at that time and later a national team triathlon runner, completed the fastest half-marathon race by an Alberton runner at that stage in 73:54. He was followed by George Potgieter in 77:41 and then 15-year-old Paul Nothnagel in 91:43 for the first Alberton junior.
Without a doubt, a piece of race history never to be written again.
In the women’s race, Cathy Cox was the first winner in 1982 and Sonja Laxton reigned supreme in 1983 in 81 minutes and again in 1984 with a new record at that stage of 77:06.
Twelve years later, in 1996, Sonja Laxton won again for the umpteenth time in 85:03, with Daniël Radebe the men’s winner in 1996 and also in 1995 and 1991.
The race is still going strong and this year organisers are hoping for good weather and a large number of participants.
