Women’s running was somewhat sluggish in getting going in the Border region.
But that started changing in 1983 when a young lass led a small, inspired field of women in a race from the East London City Hall, past the museum, into Devereaux Avenue, Old Transkei Road, through Bunkers Hill, turning at Marina Glen and finishing on the beachfront.
The race was started by then mayor Dawn Spring, whose family have been active in running circles over the years, including her daughter Robyn and son Russell.
The Daily Dispatch met Maryna Coetzee (nee Pretorius) during the week of the now well-established Kempston Ladies Race.
She spoke readily about the early years of her running career that has spanned four decades (albeit, in recent years, in more of a supportive role).
“I am giving back to runners in any which way I can, just as the pioneers of running did for us,” Coetzee said.
She pretty much did it all, from cross-country while at Hoërskool Grens and the first women’s race in 1983 to her first half-marathon in the hugely popular “The Nite Race”, started by the Border Road Running Association of the day.
It was at the sixth running of the event, in 1985, that one Maryna Pretorius of Oxford Striders can be found in the results as the winner.
Her winning time was a superb 84:23, an encouraging 4:17 faster than Colleen de Reuck’s (nee Lindeque) time from the previous year.
De Reuck has gone on to represent both SA and the US at the Olympic Games.
Race courses do change, and both races took place in January, as did all the Nite Races.
During the interview with Coetzee the names of various competitors came up, including cross-country runner, the late Diane Sandford, nee Massyn; the Bowen sisters (Daile and Tracey); the Hollis sisters (Carolyn and Michelle); Jackie Cook and Margie Thompson.
There have been many others, but in terms of the “Ladies” race, those participants made up the earliest competition.
Asked what her advice would be to any young runner today, Coetzee said: “Do speed work and strength training, listen to your body and follow the advice of successful members of the running community.”
Now a “mature Maryna”, she suggested emerging runners should not run further than the standard marathon distance.
She ran 13 Comrades Marathons, completing 12 of them, with a highly respectable personal best of 9:57:02 at her first attempt.
That was when she was coached, as she was for many years, by Kevin Flint. She owns the permanent green number 13462.
Coetzee also ran the Washie 100 Miler on five occasions and said they were especially for her father, who was always proud of his daughter and on the sidelines seconding at each Washie, as was her son Hendrik, who is now a trail runner over similar distances.
Twenty-one Buffalo Marathons is another major achievement of which Coetzee is justifiably proud, and she is thankful for the support, over numerous years, of the “hardcore runners” at Oxford Striders.
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