Alberton’s greatest Comrades runners
Next year will be the 34th time since the Alberton Athletics club entered in 1982 for the first time.
ALBERTON – The Comrades announcement for the 2015 event brought back memories of the history of the Comrades Marathon, which started in 1921. Next year will be the 34th time since the Alberton Athletics club entered in 1982 for the first time Alberton athletes in Alberton colours, for the greatest road race in the world.
That very first handful of seven Alberton road runners, who set out for the toughest ultra-marathon in the world, must without doubt be regarded as some of Alberton’s greatest Comrades athletes of all times. Trevor la Grange and Piet van Vuuren brought home the first silver medals, with founder member Barry Botha one of the club’s first ever bronze medalists.
The next year 1983 saw a hopping number of 22 Alberton entrants. Ken Poole was the Alberton winner, with Dewald Jacobsohn second and Peet van Niekerk third – both their first silver medals. Piet van Vuuren achieved his second consecutive silver and again his third consecutive silver medal in 1984!
Those were the early days. From ten years later in 1995, Alberton had become a force to be reckoned with in the Comrades. A record number of 131 men and 22 women athletes entered the Comrades in 1995, with Andries Venter the winner in 6:38:17 and Dale Rynhoud achieving his green number for 10 Comrades in perpetuity.
However, the record total of 237 Alberton athletes entered in 2000. Eddie Schonknecht lead the silver medal table on 13 and his total was 16 until his tragic death in 1996.
A concise history of Alberton athletes in the Comrades, until ten years ago in 2004, can be summarised as follows:
1996: Winner Gary Smith 6:26:27 and eight silver medals.
1997: A total of 132 finishers, of which 28 novices. The first ‘double’ green runner who emerged was Ds. Theo Swart, with his 20th Comrades medal. The winner, Gary Smith 6:19:12 and nine silvers. Kevin McCabe completed the race in the late Eddie Schonknecht’s green number.
1998: 124 men and 19 women finishers, with Gary Smith 6:41:16 again the winner and Andries Venter again runner-up. Six silver medals were achieved.
1999: 147 Alberton athletes participated in this up run, with Isaac Moreki the winner in 6:50:19 and eight silver medals. The first woman’s winner of the century’s last race: Jeanie Spence.
2000: Beyond 2000, the first winner of the new millennium was Gary Smith again and nine silver medallists. The first Alberton woman of the new millennium was Denise Fox, with Gert Koen the great grandmaster.
2001: Former cricket record-breaking wicket keeper Arthur Beeming jnr was the winner in 6:35:31 and eight silver medals. The top three women: Lana Dyer (senior), Denise Fox (veteran) and Patricia Moore (first grandmaster lady).
2002: Arthur Beeming jnr was again the winner and five silver medals. Andries Venter achieved his 16th silver medal.
2003: In his last Comrades in Alberton colours, it was Arthur Beeming jnr once again. That year’s race, however, belonged to the bravest of brave women Christine Smuts – who finished her 12th Comrades and was awarded the club’s “special athlete” trophy for fighting cancer all the way.
2004: Daniel Kgopa made Alberton proud with a fast time of 6:39:10.
Article by Peet van Niekerk, who has been a proud member of Alberton Athletics Club Road Runners since the beginning years 32 years ago, and still the club’s Vice-President today and himself a Comrades silver medallist twice.
