BOB NORRIS
The Surfers Challenge, or Marathon as it was initially referred to, started off as most distance races did back in the 1970’s as an all-male affair and there does not appear to be a definitive record of when the first woman ran, and even when they did start venturing out, there were no records kept of men’s times, let alone a few of the “girls”.
That has happily changed with much banter thrown in. In fact, it is a woman who dominates the results now.
Two men have won the race on three occasions, the first was Danny Biggs, a Comrades Marathon gold medallist and former Dusi Canoe Marathon winner, who won Surfers in 1985, ‘86 and ‘87. Biggs will be an invited guest at the 50th anniversary weekend.
The other was a sound road runner who overcame the rough terrain, the late Zolani Ntongana who won in 2001, 2005 and 2006.
However, Hanlie Botha, who arrived from Gauteng and discovered “this strange race across rocks, sand and through rivers,” was intrigued and decided to run.
Through her marriage to now local dentist Leon Botha, two children, a business start-up and much more, Hanlie has won the 17.5 km race on 10 occasions. She can be defined as a “Surfers legend” along with those men who have run them all and or, made it happen for 50 years.
Then there is Jessica Pollock, whose grandfather Mick Pollock was part of the founders group.
He passed away in 2010 not long before that year’s race. Sixteen year old Jessica entered the race, never having run much before, in memory of her grandfather. No one on the route except the odd friend or family member had a clue who the young blonde waif at the head of the women’s field was.
It was one of the harshest of all Surfers in respect of running conditions. “Ignorance was bliss” and not even some seasoned runners could stay with her.
Jessica went on to finish second on five occasions, third once and won it in 2019, as a medical student at UCT. She has also paddled against the runners in a single ski, finishing as the second woman home in 2023.
She has been in East London again for some time but is off to Cape Town to do a locum shortly. Pressure is on her to return for Surfers 2025 though. After all it is the 50th anniversary.
