The Real Gijimas organised 50km from Zwelitsha to Mdantsane, being run on Sunday, has in the past produced many interesting and exciting results.
The catalyst for such outcomes is the route itself — tough, uncompromising, some lovely down hills followed by further challenges. No layman’s prediction is safe.
Yes, the race is a Comrades Marathon qualifier, but in Border terms it is also an event steeped in ultra-marathon history and now stands proudly in its own right.
While some races that evolve are stripped of their history as clubs change hands or focus, Gijimas appear to be happy to become the flag bearers for a history they had to fight hard to first be a part of, and then to become leaders of.
The 50km, as the sixth edition approaches, is still a relatively new event if you consider the older established marathons and half marathons that abound, but it has captured and established a niche product.
The start of the race is at the entrance to Zwelitsha, on the outskirts of Qonce, and is about 20km from the entrance to Mdantsane, a proud and densely populated township from whence many a fine runner has emerged.
The entrance to Mdantsane results in about 30km of touring the township itself and is responsible for testing stamina.
The Zwelitsha start to the finish may offer a drop in altitude, but it also ushers in a 530m climb to the 15km mark.
From there to Mdantsane, on what was once the national road from East London — to the sporting feats of Dale College and many other fine schools, to the home of Steve Biko, and SA’s first sports minister of a democratically elected government, Steve Tshwete, as well as National Sports Congress founding president Mluleki George — the race is largely undulating, though not gently so and is similar to the course used for a 60km ultra marathon started in 1955 and run annually until 1988.
Border has a colourful and diverse running history, and this race is a custodian thereof.
Ultra-marathon runners have a knack of talking a lot, a by-product of many hours on the roads and it is possible that some runners may entertain their compatriots every step of the way.
While the province’s runners wait to hear who has entered the 2025 race and decide who might take over from previous men’s winners, such as Mziwonke Ngwendu of Nedbank Gauteng North in 2019, Pule Hlabahlaba, from Sibanye-Stillwater, in 2023 or 2024’s winner Zuko Mambula of Qolokweni AC, it was recalled this week that two men who were among pioneers of the sport in the Eastern Cape are past winners of ultra marathons.
A former chair of Eastern Province Road Running, Cliff Hopkins, won the Qonce to East London race in 1964 while studying at Rhodes University, and a Border chair, Kenny Wilkinson, won twice, in 1972 and 1974.
Real Gijimas runners themselves have given much to ultra running and their teams were among the most respected when competing for the Mossie Kemp floating trophy for the first team of six Border runners at the Comrades.
Provincial stalwarts who have won the race also include Tammy Bilibana, Solomon Pongola, Edgar Moyo, David Skepe and Phillip Quvana.
And among the women, who have blossomed in later years, standout performances have come from Stephanie Smith, Caryn Lategan, Lauren Ranger, Xoliswa Bici, Melanie Schemel, Thembela van den Berg, Carmen Schaefer, Siviwe Nomapelana, Nowezi Mabophe, Sitha Sigema, Stephanie Kretzmann, Estelle Botha and numerous others.
The fields were exceedingly small back then, but on Sunday it is expected that more than 400 runners will take on the rolling hills of the Border region.
Will a new Border Comrades gold medallist emerge from this race? Or indeed from a visiting province?
Daily Dispatch
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