Some are winners, some make winners… but all have had a profound effect on the state of SA running in 2016. – By Mike Finch and Lisa Nevitt
The 10 Most Influential People In South African Running
1. Transformer Of Trails: Stuart McConnachie, Director, Cape Town Running Company, 39
Stuart McConnachie is the technical director of the Ultra Trail Cape Town (UTCT) – a multi-distance event that was the brainchild of race director Nic Bornman. The race – which offers a range of distances: 35km, 65km and 100km – has changed trail runners’ mindsets about what is achievable.
That’s what motivates McConnachie’s role within the trail-running community. He recognises it’s not the distance that matters, but the journey of growth – for some, racing 35km feels more like 100.
“We dig to see others taking on new challenges, realising their abilities and discovering a passion for trail,” McConnachie says.
The event has also contributed towards tourism: this year, 35% of participants will fly into Cape Town from over 40 countries, including the US, the UK, Australia and France.
“UTCT is a popular destination race, because you don’t need to drive six hours out of the city to reach the mountains – in Cape Town, they’re right on your doorstep,” he explains. “Hopefully that means we’ll be on the Ultra Trail World Tour in the not-so-distant future – and that will obviously help us to attract more international elites.”
Another way McConnachie helps to bring his community together is through his Tuesday Trails initiative, a social running group that enables every level of runner to experience Table Mountain’s trails every Tuesday night.
Combined with his exposure to international trail events like the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc®, the personal relationships McConnachie has formed with local runners have enabled him to develop an understanding of what his community needs.
So he started the Petzl Wolfpack Trails – a five- to 10-kilometre event, held at night, on golf courses around South Africa. Such events are an ideal introduction to night-time off-road running, because they take place in a safe and controlled environment.
Most trail runners are environmentally aware – McConnachie is no different. But beyond the personal, in support of local initiatives McConnachie has gathered groups to assist in trail clean-ups, and has helped in cutting overgrowth on Devil’s Peak.
2. The Coach – Lindsey Parry, Comrades and Triathlon South Africa Coach, 39
When I first met Lindsey Parry in 2006, he was working as a biokineticist at the Sports Science Institute in Cape Town. A passionate runner and the son of a Comrades medallist, Parry has ticked off memorable performances of his own, including a sub-3-hour marathon, a silver Comrades, and some impressive triathlon results.
In 2004, that passion landed him a job as official coach of the Comrades Marathon, taking over from the legendary Don Oliver. At first the young coach’s appointment was met with criticism, as the old guard were sceptical of his training methods – big mileage was replaced with more recovery, and focused sessions.
But 12 years down the line, Parry has established himself firmly as a coach with a dedicated following – including not only the best of the best, but also the many thousands of ordinary runners who train for the Comrades and other events each year.
Parry, who already has 10 Comrades finishes to his name, is arguably the most successful running coach in South African history. He helped turn Comrades and Two Oceans star Caroline Wöstmann from an ‘also-ran’ into a champion – a fact she readily admits.
“Lindsey has helped me transform my running career,” she says. “He gave me structure.”
Parry is also coach to current Comrades champion Charné Bosman, who – despite years at the top level of running – turned to Parry to help her succeed at Comrades.
As if Parry’s achievements in running were not enough, he is also the national coach of Triathlon South Africa (TSA), and was part of the team that celebrated Henri Schoeman’s bronze medal and Richard Murray’s fourth place at the Rio Olympics.
But perhaps the best assessment of Parry’s skills comes from radio presenter Brad Brown, who transformed himself from weighing 165kg to being an ultra-marathon runner and Ironman finisher: “There are few coaches who can train both world champions and the average back-of-the-packer. Lindsey Parry is one of them.”
3. Champion-Maker – Ans Botha, Coach and mentor, 74
An Olympic gold medal and a world record – in the same race? It doesn’t get any bigger. And for South Africans, Wayde van Niekerk’s Rio Olympics performance will go down as one of our greatest-ever sporting achievements, after he broke Michael Johnson’s 17-year-old 400m world record on his way to victory.
In the stands was Tannie Ans Botha, Van Niekerk’s 74-year-old coach, whose delighted face was broadcast across the world as the shy Van Niekerk became the toast of Rio. It was South Africa’s first sprinting gold for almost a century, and much of his success has been attributed to her mentorship.
So unglamorous is Botha that as Van Niekerk celebrated, she attempted to get through the crowds to congratulate him.
“There was security, and they just wouldn’t let me through!” she told the New York Times.
Botha was the one who encouraged Van Niekerk to focus his attention on the 400m, after suffering injuries training for the more intense 200m event – his favourite. It wasn’t easy – even now, Van Niekerk still prefers the shorter sprints to the longer one-lapper.
But Botha is more than just a coach. Her motherly but firm manner is how she deals with her small band of athletes in Bloemfontein, and she’s known not to tolerate late arrivals and slacking off.
A former sprinter who grew up in Namibia, Botha has been head coach at the University of the Free State since 1990, and has spent 50 years coaching some of South Africa’s best running talent – including athletes such as Thuso Mpuang, who won bronze and silver at the World Student Games in 2009 and 2011.
“She’s an amazing woman,” Van Niekerk told RW earlier this year. “She’s played a huge role in what I am today. I’m grateful I could trust in her work, and I think it speaks for itself.
“What she’s achieved as a coach… I’m just thankful to be part of the history she’s made.”
We are too!
4. The Prodigy – Ntando Mahlangu Won silver in the men’s T42 200-metre final at the 2016 Paralympics, 14
In exactly 23.77 seconds, blade runner Ntando Mahlangu achieved big things. Even more impressive was his lightning-fast rise to the Paralympic podium – because four years ago, Ntando Mahlangu was in a wheelchair. He was born with hemimelia, which meant the lower part of his legs didn’t develop properly.
As a child from a disadvantaged background, living with a disability, he belonged to arguably one of the most marginalised groups in the country. Yet Mahlangu dreamed of becoming one of the fastest men in the world – and then he actually did it.
Which means not only that his athletic ability is outstanding, but that his self-belief and determination are bulletproof too.
Mahlangu could easily have stayed in the confines of his wheelchair, but when he was 10 years old, he decided that to be able to walk, he would have the lower part of his legs amputated through the knee.
His supporters, too, can be considered heroes. In 2012, Jumping Kids – a non-profit organisation that makes prosthetic limbs for children – gave Mahlangu his first pair of blades.
Mahlangu recalled: “For the first time, I could walk. I vomited – not out of fear, but out of happiness.”
His mom and grandmother told him he could do anything, and he affectionately describes his coach as a ‘pushy tannie’ who offers him no sympathy at training sessions. Because these people believed in him and gave him opportunities, he had no reason to think he couldn’t succeed.
It took Mahlangu just one week to learn to walk, and after two weeks, he was able to run. Soon he was competing in national competitions, and in the past two years he has become the African record-holder in the 100, 200, 400 and 800 metres. He is the world-record holder in the 400m in the T42 class. He has run even faster than that record, but in an able-bodied event, so his time is considered unofficial.
“I believe his self-confidence stems from knowing what he has already accomplished, and building on it,” explains Jumping Kids operations manager Michael Stevens. “He knows he can run fast, so now when he races he doesn’t worry about the competition – just about his own performance.”
Because he doesn’t have knees or ankles, Mahlangu uses his hips to run. They pivot in an inward, circular motion.
“At the start of a race, he doesn’t have the initial thrust that he would if he had knees, but once he gets up to speed, because he’s using bigger muscles, he accelerates,” explains Stevens. “That’s especially advantageous in the 400 metres. I believe Ntando can get his time down to the 45-second mark – it would be unreal if he could get his time closer to Wayde van Niekerk’s record, all things considered.”
The able-bodied athletes Mahlangu runs with don’t see him as a boy with no legs – they recognise him as a runner, striving to achieve the same goals they are.
Now that the Paralympics is over, life returns to normal: Mahlangu plays soccer with his friends, spends time with his family, tucks into a lasagne and enjoys DJ’ing. School is important to him, because he aspires to become an engineer.
But when it comes to athletics, he’s a prodigy – and an inspiring example of what is possible for children living with disability.
5. The Colonel – John Hamlett, Coach and mentor, 56
In the 2001 Comrades Marathon, as Andrew Kelehe ran through Westville on his way to victory, the Colonel was shouting: “Fly with wings, Andrew, fly!” It was an emotional moment for Kelehe, after the death of his daughter just months before, and the Colonel – John Hamlett – had tears running down his face as he shouted encouragement from atop the press truck following the leaders.
The running policeman went on to finish in 5:25, to become the first black South African to win the race since 1992.
It’s Hamlett’s no-nonsense approach to coaching – and the position he once held as a colonel in the army – that earned him his nickname, and his reputation as a master tactician.
For 33 years Hamlett has looked after a small group of handpicked athletes, many of them from disadvantaged backgrounds, and drilled them into becoming endurance superstars. His belief in them is palpable, and his passion for producing Comrades champions, in particular, seems limitless.
At first take, he’s an intimidating character. Despite his age, he’s physically defined, with a strong handshake that matches his resolute belief in every athlete he works with. His holistic approach
to coaching combines hard training with a balanced lifestyle, and a strong focus on nutrition.
Sometimes controversial, Hamlett can often be seen out on the route on race day, shouting at and encouraging his runners.
After his win in 2001, Andrew Kelehe worked closely with Hamlett to produce a new generation of champions – including Kelehe’s own brother, Gift, who won the race in 2015.
But perhaps Hamlett’s crowning achievement came in 2016, when David Gatebe broke the ‘unbreakable’ Down Run record of Russian Leonid Shvetsov by almost two minutes, in 5:18.
Gatebe’s attack 26km from the finish was decisive; one more piece of evidence that Hamlett’s ability to build confidence in his athletes has been key to his success in producing a staggering 45 Comrades gold medals.
6. The Hopeful Romantic – Roy Hein Ran the Comrades Marathon for the woman he loves, 61
Roy Hein could be considered a modern-day Prince Charming, because he took a risk to perform a selfless act for the woman he loves.
In our article The End And The Beginning (RW August 2016), writer Natasha Freeman describes how Tracy Todd dreamed of running the Comrades, but when a car accident rendered her quadriplegic, she lost her independence. Despite Hein having himself recovered from a crippling heart attack, he was so inspired by Todd’s fighting spirit (and her radiant smile) that he decided to run the world’s greatest footrace, the Comrades, for her.
The pair first met on an online dating site, and connected instantly. They spoke honestly about what they loved, their achievements and their disappointments – until one day, Todd shared her biggest regret: that she hadn’t run the Comrades when she’d had the chance. Without hesitation, Hein offered to run it for her.
Race day arrived, and with it mixed emotions. On the one hand Todd cried, because she so badly wanted to run the Comrades herself; and on the other, she prayed Hein would arrive at the finish safely, without any health complications.
But the encouraging text messages Todd sent throughout his race were all the support Hein needed to keep soldiering on. For the last 30 kilometres of the Comrades, he carried a touching tribute to Todd – a sign, with the words ‘For my friend, Tracy Todd’, and a photograph of Todd, smiling radiantly from her wheelchair.
Through Hein, Todd finally had the opportunity to ‘run’ the great ultra – and she also had Hein’s heart. The pair had fallen head over running shoes in love with each other, and to prove it, they shared their first kiss just five minutes after meeting for the first time. In April 2015, they were married.
In conclusion, the author writes: “If there’s one thing Hein and Todd’s triumph-over-tragedy story teaches us, it’s that love helps us get through it together.” Hein’s story certainly had the power to bring tears to our eyes here at RW.
7. Weight-Loss Wonder Woman – Tshidi Laka Ran off 40kg, 37
Tshidi Laka (Run It Off Club, RW September 2016) is living proof that running, combined with a healthy diet, is one of the most effective ways to burn kilojoules and get fit.
At 128kg, Laka didn’t like the way she looked or felt. Her weight-loss journey began with a simple desire to change her life. But that’s a decision that no-one can make for you – you must do it yourself, and it’s in that process that heroes are made.
Laka started running – alone, and slowly at first – around a nearby soccer field. A dietician helped her to control her eating habits, by becoming mindful of what she was eating and when she was eating it.
Her new diet includes plenty of fruit, vegetables, fibre and three litres of water a day. Each day, she runs after work for 30 to 40 minutes.
Laka’s reward? She has completed six 10-kilometre races, and she is able to walk distances she couldn’t before.
“Words cannot describe how wonderful I feel right now,” she told us, proudly.
Laka’s ability to turn away from a sedentary existence and shed unwanted kilograms is motivating her to reach her goal weight of 70kg – and her success has inspired others to embark on their own weight-loss journey.
8. The Braveheart – Caroline Wöstmann 2016 Comrades Marathon runner-up, two-time Two Oceans champion, 33
In 2016, Caroline Wöstmann and Charné Bosman produced one of the most dramatic moments in Comrades Marathon history. With a 15-minute lead going into the final 20km of the race, Wöstmann – the outright favourite, after her win in 2015 and double victory at the 2015 and 2016 Two Oceans Marathon – began to fall apart, as she paid the price for a too-fast early pace.
At the time, Bosman had almost resigned herself to settling for second place, with a seemingly insurmountable gap to bridge between her and Wöstmann. But as Wöstmann began to cramp – walking often, and weaving across the road – the gap began to close dramatically. At one stage Wöstmann swerved into the path of a marshal’s motorbike; and with 12km to go, it seemed impossible that she would even finish.
But she refused to give up, and the drama continued in front of millions on TV. As Wöstmann staggered, fell and walked her way agonisingly towards Durban, Bosman suddenly realised she had a chance to win.
But it took until they hit the streets of Durban, with only 2km to go, for Bosman to finally catch the struggling mother of two – within earshot of the stadium.
Bosman accelerated past, terrified that her rival would find a second wind and challenge her again. But it was not to be: Bosman ran on to an emotional victory, with Wöstmann losing almost five minutes over those last 2km.
At the post-race press conference, Wöstmann celebrated with Bosman as if she had won the race herself, paying tribute to her friend and sometime training partner.
And while we celebrate Bosman’s win, we applaud Wöstmann. For the Johannesburg-born runner to have suffered through those final 12km was a lesson to everyone who has ever run the great race between Durban and Pietermaritzburg. Never give up, no matter who you are!
9. Cinderella Man – Peter Moses, Former gang member, runner, 39
Peter Moses comes from an area where it’s seen as normal for young people to slip into a life of crime. The courage he had to talk candidly about his former life, and the new challenges he faced as a runner (‘Cinderella Man’, RW April 2016), changed our lives here at RW.
Moses’ story has the power to grab a child from the Cape Flats by the shoulders, shake him or her wildly, and shout, ‘Even if you find yourself in a dark place, you can get out of it – provided you make the right choices!’
When he left gang life behind, Moses’ life spiralled into poverty, and he faced opposition from a community that knows no other way of living. Changing the course of his life was an uphill struggle, but his two boys stood out as a reason to keep trying.
“Since he’s taken up running, Peter has become a positive role model for his kids,” says close friend Sue-Ann Fourie. “His mother – who wasn’t around for much of his childhood, and blames herself for his descent into gangsterism – oozes with love and pride.”
Moses is addressing the problem of gangs in his community. When he ran the 100km at the Cape Town Festival of Running (and came second!), he raised R4 000 for the JAG Foundation, an organisation that introduces disadvantaged youths to sport. He now has a coaching qualification through Western Province Athletics, which means he can offer his services to schools.
Moses has a new job at the Cape Town Running Company, making route markers for the Ultra-Trail Cape Town. At the Petzl Wolfpack Trails, he’s affectionately known as the lanterne rouge, because he wears a red light and sweeps the 5km race.
“He inspires those of us who could be termed ‘privileged’,” says Fourie. “Each time we’re having a bad day – when we complain we’re slow or fat – we’re reminded of Peter, who doesn’t have kit or even proper nutrition. Everything he has is scraped together from donations.
“And yet he always has a fat grin on his face. It’s impossible to walk through an event venue with Peter without having to stop constantly, because everybody greets him. He’s got to be inspiring people!”
10. The Dreamer – Janet Welham, Race Director, Sanlam Cape Town Marathon, 51
In their teenage years, Elana Meyer and Janet Welham were fierce competitors: Meyer dominated on the road, and Welham had the edge in cross-country events. But at age 20 – as the prospect of international competition dwindled, during the isolation years – Welham went into the business of business; while Meyer continued with the business of running. Fast forward to 2013, and the two combined their passion for running to start Endurocad – an academy aimed at helping build future marathon stars in South Africa.
And it was Endurocad that eventually led to Welham and Meyer’s involvement in South Africa’s fastest-growing marathon – the Sanlam Cape Town Marathon – after they approached former Springbok rugby captain Francois Pienaar for funding for their academy.
“We didn’t get the funding – but it led to a discussion about the Cape Town Marathon, and how we could turn it into Africa’s major,” Welham remembers.
Meyer and Pienaar used their high profiles to get buy-in from the local federation at Western Province Athletics and Athletics South Africa, and much-needed funding from sponsors such as title-holder Sanlam.
“We sold the dream; and the dream was to put Africa on the marathon-running map. We wanted to use that to leverage change, get everyone involved and ensure that we got buy-in. It was about making Cape Town both South Africa’s and Africa’s big-city marathon.”
This year they maxed out the marathon field, at 8 000 (along with 12 000 in the 10km), and look set to continue growing in 2017 – despite a running culture rooted in ultras.
“We had to change the culture of running in South Africa. We had to buck the trend, because ultra running is very popular. But it’s not a case of either/or… it’s about creating space for both.”
They’ve concentrated on encouraging half-marathon runners to up their distance to take on a marathon, while also focusing on the global city-marathon hype.
Currently the CT Marathon is an IAAF Silver Label event, and hopes are that the race will be upgraded to Gold Label status for 2017.
“Being a marathon, we get to compare ourselves to other marathons around the world. The Sydney Marathon was held on the same day as ours, and was a Gold Label event. But they had just 4 500 finishers, and their winning time was three minutes slower than ours… So we can see that we compare quite nicely against other international marathons.”
Whether the CT Marathon will reach the 35 000-plus numbers seen in cities like London, New York, Berlin, Tokyo and Paris remains to be seen; understandably, Welham is cautious.
“I think we would look to cap the marathon at 15 to 20 000 within the next three years, but that depends on the logistics and the capability of the route to handle numbers like that. Could we go bigger? I guess anything’s possible – but we’re not thinking like that yet.”
Perhaps one of the stand-out aspects of the CT Marathon has been its focus on environmental impact. In 2015 the event was declared carbon neutral; and in 2016, climate neutral.
“It’s a complicated process, that looks at everything from water sachets to driving to meetings to buying carbon credits on the stock exchange,” Welham says. “But it’s something we’re extremely proud of.”
With lots of coaching and running-development workshops happening behind the scenes, Welham and her team are clearly dedicated to more than just presenting a world-class race each year: for them, the dream is also the legacy each event leaves behind.
“The reward for all of this will come in the years ahead,” Welham says. “It will come when we are recognised as part of the world’s major series.”