Johan van der Merwe has won the Washie 100 Miler four times in succession, but the Pietersburg Road runner will not be in the field at the Port Alfred start of the 40th Washie 100 on July 22.
Van der Merwe said yesterday that injury will keep him at bay this year and that he is bitterly disappointed.
That he has kept himself together for as long as he has is unique given that he is not the most circumspect man when it comes to racing. He simply loves to run and race long and far.
“I have had very bad luck this year with a prevailing and nasty hamstring injury which I picked up in November 2015.”
He bemoans the fact that he should have rested for two months but he adds “I kept on trying it out every now and again.” As indeed most runners do.
“My wish was to continue running Washie until I got beaten” says the only man to win the race each time he has entered.
Manie Saayman won the event three times in succession from 1985 to 1987 and twice in succession in 1981 and 1982.
Van der Merwe would thus dearly love to get six wins. He broke Saayman’s 30-year-old race record of 13hrs 13min, 38sec at his first attempt in 2012. On that occasion he was credited with a new record time of 13:07:05. It remains his fastest of his four Washie wins. Indeed he has only ever won the race and thus his quandary.
Van der Merwe entered a 24-hour race in China, back in January and will board a plane today for the race that starts on Saturday. “I thought my injury would have been gone by now. I ran Comrades slowly (9:09:59) in order to test if I would be able to run at least 90km with this pain, before heading for China.”
He continues in similar vein to most runners when he says: “I am not sure what I will do there, I might have to run on memory. The injury is currently very painful and I have not trained much this year.”
The discussion ends on the note: “I could run Washie in 15 hours in my current shape and with the injury, because it is a mental thing, but I would not be satisfied with that on my CV.” Nor would any perfectionist.
There can be no doubt that Van der Merwe loves the Eastern Cape sojourn from the Kowie River on a course that crosses numerous river mouths before arriving at the Buffalo River and on to the finish at one of South Africa’s oldest sporting establishments of the same name.
Van der Merwe’s absence will be sad for all who have marvelled at his strength and pace over 160 very hilly kilometres these past four years. It does however open up the race and many runners may take the opportunity to enter now that the man who has owned the event since 2012 is out.
Local club All Stars will certainly believe that Mcebisi Yose, who has finished second for the past three years, can step up one place on the podium. He has been very consistent with times of between 15:33:15 and 15:45:48.
A quick perusal of entries to-date does not tell much though there are a couple of runners with fair Comrades results who might kick on.
On the women’s front, neither multiple winner, Martha Pretorius or two times winner, Megan Davey have entered as yet, but a novice entry from Carien Visser of Tuks AC is of interest and it would be surprising if Pretorius and Davey are not in the mix.
Visser ran a 7:35:14 Comrades this year and was the eighth veteran woman home, a category she won in 2013 when she ran a silver medal time of 7:27:23 and was the 11th woman overall.
The women have often produced closer races than the men, but as things are stacking up for 2016, both races could be tight.
King of the Road skips the Monster
Van der Merwe said yesterday that injury will keep him at bay this year and that he is bitterly disappointed.
That he has kept himself together for as long as he has is unique given that he is not the most circumspect man when it comes to racing. He simply loves to run and race long and far.
“I have had very bad luck this year with a prevailing and nasty hamstring injury which I picked up in November 2015.”
He bemoans the fact that he should have rested for two months but he adds “I kept on trying it out every now and again.” As indeed most runners do.
“My wish was to continue running Washie until I got beaten” says the only man to win the race each time he has entered.
Manie Saayman won the event three times in succession from 1985 to 1987 and twice in succession in 1981 and 1982.
Van der Merwe would thus dearly love to get six wins. He broke Saayman’s 30-year-old race record of 13hrs 13min, 38sec at his first attempt in 2012. On that occasion he was credited with a new record time of 13:07:05. It remains his fastest of his four Washie wins. Indeed he has only ever won the race and thus his quandary.
Van der Merwe entered a 24-hour race in China, back in January and will board a plane today for the race that starts on Saturday. “I thought my injury would have been gone by now. I ran Comrades slowly (9:09:59) in order to test if I would be able to run at least 90km with this pain, before heading for China.”
He continues in similar vein to most runners when he says: “I am not sure what I will do there, I might have to run on memory. The injury is currently very painful and I have not trained much this year.”
The discussion ends on the note: “I could run Washie in 15 hours in my current shape and with the injury, because it is a mental thing, but I would not be satisfied with that on my CV.” Nor would any perfectionist.
There can be no doubt that Van der Merwe loves the Eastern Cape sojourn from the Kowie River on a course that crosses numerous river mouths before arriving at the Buffalo River and on to the finish at one of South Africa’s oldest sporting establishments of the same name.
Van der Merwe’s absence will be sad for all who have marvelled at his strength and pace over 160 very hilly kilometres these past four years. It does however open up the race and many runners may take the opportunity to enter now that the man who has owned the event since 2012 is out.
Local club All Stars will certainly believe that Mcebisi Yose, who has finished second for the past three years, can step up one place on the podium. He has been very consistent with times of between 15:33:15 and 15:45:48.
A quick perusal of entries to-date does not tell much though there are a couple of runners with fair Comrades results who might kick on.
On the women’s front, neither multiple winner, Martha Pretorius or two times winner, Megan Davey have entered as yet, but a novice entry from Carien Visser of Tuks AC is of interest and it would be surprising if Pretorius and Davey are not in the mix.
Visser ran a 7:35:14 Comrades this year and was the eighth veteran woman home, a category she won in 2013 when she ran a silver medal time of 7:27:23 and was the 11th woman overall.
The women have often produced closer races than the men, but as things are stacking up for 2016, both races could be tight.
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