The origins of any road race often determine the longevity and success of the event.
In short, there should always be a “why” at the birth of a new event.
The Comrades Marathon began with World War 1 of 1914-1918 as the motivating factor.
The race grew slowly but surely.
At the 2021 launch of Comrades, 48 runners entered, 34 started and 16 completed the race in the 12 hours allotted.
That first Comrades was run exclusively on gravel roads with numerous crossings of streams and the need to open and close farm gates from time to time.
Entries peaked at about 23,000 pre-lockdown and stand at 15,983 as the great race returns.
Back in Buffalo City and Mdantsane in particular, much history led to the introduction of the Real Gijimas organised Kasi 10..
Before the inaugural Real Gijimas 10km race there had been a joint initiative between Real Gijimas and the Border Road Running Association with the inaugural Ciskei Building Society 15km in 1990.
The race was declared a Border Road Running League event, and as such, introduced runners from various parts of the province to the hills of Mdantsane.
From the start, the quality of the field was exceptional and the camaraderie fantastic.
The first race had a dramatic finish when Mzwandile Shube and Thabang Baholo were awarded the same time, but Shube the race.
A week earlier at the Nite Race 21.1km, they also finished head-to-head in identical times, but with the first place decision going to Baholo.
A year later in 1991, the finish was equally dramatic given that two of Eastern Province’s giants in the road running world, Ezael Thlobo and Michael Scout, raced each other to the last metre.
Both had previously gained South African colours for their exploits on the roads.
Thlobo won, setting a new course record of 46:13 — a huge 1:13 better than the previous year.
Another African great who ran this race was Vincent Rakabaele of President Steyn, an Olympic Marathoner for Lesotho and Two Oceans winner.
There were to be only three such races, the third won by Mthunzi Dyonase, while in the women’s race all three were won by one of Border’s all-time great runners, Lizanne Holmes.
I said there was history, and it was momentous for all in this region and indeed SA.
First was the toppling of Lennox Sebe in “Ciskei” taking place, with some ferocity in the streets of Mdantsane on the very first weekend of the race.
Two years later, post the race, the Bhisho Massacre took place, which led to the cancellation of the race going forward, just when it was recovering from the first conflict situation and had grown to about 400 runners.
Post 1992, the race became only a meaningful memory for all.
In 2007, Real Gijimas found an anchor sponsor and launched the current 10km race, which has grown in popularity, attracting record fields every year.
Exciting racing thus returned to the hills of Mdantsane.
And then history interfered again, only from a purely negative perspective.
This time the race was put on the back burner for two years.
Happily, 2022 arrived and common sense has prevailed with regular competition taking place around the province and country.
On Sunday, those hills will be alive once more.
• One of the pioneers of running in Mdantsane in those early years was Tembinkosi Bishop, who passed away this week.
Not only was he a fine runner who represented both Border and Free State, he was a delightful man with a hearty smile and laugh to share always.
At that first 15km, Bishop was in the team prize for President Steyn, along with Dyonase, Makaya Masumpa and Rakabaele.
Such memories tend to have a feel of “running” royalty really.
Such characters are not easily replaced.
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