ALBERTON – In a trip down memory lane this week, the focus is on the story of the guts and glory of Alberton’s Comrades heroes in 2004, exactly ten years ago.
Then, Donald Kgopa was the first Alberton runner home in a splendid time of six hours 39 minutes, after flying through halfway in 02:51:00, however, he had to show guts to complete the second half 57 minutes slower in three hours 48 minutes. First woman Salome Castelyn clocked the best time ever for a woman in the 22 year Alberton Comrades history, coming home in 7:35:09.
The veteran’s winning time was 7:05:53 by Willie Coetzee. Back then, Glyn Rynhoud finished between 08:00 and 08:30 hours and Andries Venter between 08:30 and 09:00 hours for Bill Rowan medals.
That was the story ten years ago and now, in 2014, the Alberton Comrades story reads as follows: Glen Rynhoud, Alberton winner four out of five times the past five years, is once again the Alberton champion in 06:48:37. He was followed by the other two silver medallists, the same Donald Kgopa of ten years ago in 07:25:02 and the evergreen Michael Brandon-Kirby, back on the silver medal rostrum and a podium Alberton finish, for a well deserved third place in 07:29:17 in his 14th completed Comrades.
As predicted correctly, the top four women were: Veteran Tania Blignaut for her 10th finish and green number in perpetuity 09:28:04, first women’s novice Hendra Broadfoot 09:50:59, Lisa Mavric for her second medal 10:22:37 bronze and another proud bronze medal winner second women’s novice Barbara Luckemeyer in 10:26:37.
A total of 36 of the 55 Alberton entrants finished, the full results to follow in a next issue including the list of category winners.
