HISTORY
RACE RESULTS
Date | Tuesday, 31 May |
eather | Cool at start. Chilly wind in vicinity of Botha’s Hill. Sunny and warm after Inchanga. |
Temperature – Min/ Max: |
|
PMB | 7/28 |
DBN | 13/24 |
Start Venue/Time | Durban City Hall / 6:00 |
Finish Venue | Collegians’ Club Oval |
Time Limit | 11 Hours |
Approx. Distance | 54 M |
Entries | 404 |
Starters | 365 |
Finishers – Total | 261 |
Men | 261 |
Medals – Gold | 6 |
Silver | 255 |
% Finishers / Starters | 71.5 |
THE MENS RACE
With Jackie Mekler in retirement, it appeared to be the most open Comrades for many years. That did not detract from the pre-race excitement. There were a number of top performers capable of annexing Mekler’s crown. Manie Kuhn, based on recent performances, appeared to have more supporters than the others.
First across the Durban boundary, at Suzor’s Bend, was Fritz Madel with a short lead over Kuhn and Phil Hargreaves. Kicking at their heels was a big group with the major contenders, as well as a few unknown factors, all running together; Tommy Malone, Eric Rencken, Frikkie Steyn, Arnold Harborth, Dave Box, Ted Craig and Gerald Walsh who was making a return after 6 years away from the race.
Madel, Kuhn and Hargreaves arrived together at Westville in 59 minutes. Rencken was 4th with Malone and Steyn running together in joint 5th position. Passing through Pinetown in 1h 25m 40s the lead quartet comprised Hargreaves, Kuhn, Craig and Madel. Two hundred yards behind the leaders was another group of top performers; Rencken, Box, Steyn and Malone (1h 26m 22s).
The climb up Field’s Hill saw Madel and Craig fall back, while Rencken joined Kuhn and Hargreaves at the crest, which they reached in 1h 46m. With such a tightly compressed field, positions change rapidly and the position, as the field swept through Hillcrest, was Kuhn (2h 21m 59s), Malone (2h 22m 49s), Box (2h 22m 50s), Hargreaves (2h 22m 51s) and Madel and Craig (2h 23m 1s).
On the stretch to the halfway point, more major changes continued as a chilly wind swept across the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Kuhn ran into Drummond, clocking 3h 8m 54s, with Steyn (3h 10m 10s), Hargreaves (3h 10m 40s), Box (3h 10m 41s), Malone (3h 10m 42s) and Madel (3h 11m 57s).
Kuhn and Steyn found the going tough up Inchanga, while Malone climbed it with ease. He overhauled Steyn along Harrison Flats and gradually closed the gap on the tiring Kuhn. Setting out after the fading race leader, Malone finally went to the front as he ran into Camperdown. Reaching Umlaas Road in 4h 51m, he was followed by Kuhn (4h 55m 30s), Steyn (5h 1m) and Madel (5h 5m).
With the heavy climbing behind him, with the exception of Polly Shortt’s, Malone demonstrated an unstoppable finishing kick. He powered his way up the massive hill and ran untroubled into the finish at the Collegians’ Club Oval, crossing the line in 6h 14m 7s. Such was his dominance over the final 12 miles, it was another 17 minutes before Kuhn, who hung on gamely, arrived, with Madel appearing a further 2 minutes adrift.
RESULT
1st | Tommy Malone | South Africa |
6h 14m 07s |
2nd | Manie Kuhn | South Africa | 6h 31m 46s |
3rd | Fritz Madel | South Africa | 6h 33m 45s |
4th | Charlie Chase | South Africa | 6h 36m 05s |
5th | Phil Hargreaves | South Africa | 6h 40m 55s |
6th | Frikkie Steyn | South Africa | 6h 44m 28s |
7th | Dave Box | South Africa | 6h 45m 12s |
8th | Dennis Gent | South Africa | 6h 48m 08s |
9th | Eddie Pritchard | South Africa | 6h 57m 09s |
10th | Roland Davey | South Africa | 6h 57m 25s |
VETERANS (AGE 40 – 49)
1st | Eddie Pritchard 47) | South Africa | 6h 57m 09s |
2nd | Eddie Gore (47) | South Africa | 7h 18m 10s |
3rd | Vorster (40) | South Africa | 7h 39m 15s |
MASTERS (AGE 50 - 59)
1st | Liege Boulle (57) | South Africa |
8h 44m 20s |
2nd | Archie Grant (52) | South Africa | 9h 34m 57s |
3rd | Mickey Doo (57) | South Africa | 9h 40m 04s |