2017 Review

2017 Review

JANUARY
January started with a bang for those who ran the Bay to Bay and Red Hill races. The
first pack run was also held on the 14 th of January, while we waited for ASA to send our
2017 numbers.

BAY TO BAY
30km
POS NAME TIME
531Steve Mendes 2:39:26
809Jans Van Wyk 2:49:18
858Ian De Beer 2:50:56
1643Clinton Meyer 3:13:46
2410Sonia Human 3:40:01
15km
POS NAME TIME
1511Kelly Van Zyl 1:59:16

RED HILL
36km
POS NAME TIME
326Jans Van Wyk 3:36:58
680Hester Fourie 4:05:22
681Marius Fourie 4:05:23
Danny Carmichael-
713Green 4:08:58
721Felicity Gallagher 4:09:26
1040Sonia Human 4:37:38
1041Pat Coltman 4:37:38
42.2km
POS NAME TIME
318Clayten Gouws 4:13:16
755Mike Mantel 4:57:59

FEBRUARY
Slowly, but surely, things started heating up. Longer pack runs, warmer weather and drier
dams. The last chance to qualify for OMTOM (Peninsula) arrived, as did a 45km/h south
Easter on the day. Not a pleasant experience for anyone who partook.

42.2km
CAPE
PENINSULA
POS NAME TIME
542Claire Craig 3:53:22
1569Steve Mendes 4:34:55
1577Carmen Andrews 4:35:31
1708Erika Weber 4:40:55
1819Michael Mantel 4:44:48
Danny Carmichael-
1835Green 4:45:28
1879Felicity Gallagher 4:47:04
1901Hester Fourie 4:47:37
2123Marius Fourie 4:54:29
2479Cheryl Le Roux 5:15:55
2491Clinton Meyer 5:17:32
21.1km
POS NAME TIME
1098Peter Spence 2:19:29
2142Kelly Van Zyl 2:57:30
2149Gerry Lennon 2:57:43

MARCH
March saw the running of the annual Peregrine Run. The hard yards for the Two Oceans
half and ultra runners were put in during this period.

PEREGRINE
50km

APRIL
The Two Oceans month had finally arrived. A few started the month off by doing Leapfrog
21km in Gordons Bay, others went for jog around the coast.
Two Oceans was a great success for the club. 9 finishers in the half and 15 in the ultra.
Oh, and a wedding.
The month was capped off with well attended Gordons Bay-Bettys Bay run, called off at
47km due to temperatures reaching above 40 0 C.

LEAPFROG
GORDONS BAY
21.1km
POS NAME TIME
124Steve Mendes 1:34:28
Danny Carmichael-
474Green 1:53:45
551Clinton Meyer 1:56:30
591Carmen Andrews 1:57:53
932John Thole 2:10:56
933Claire Hodge 2:10:57
1042Pat Coltman 2:15:14

TWO OCEANS
TRAINING

TWO OCEANS
21.1km
POS NAME TIME
3298Giga Sanders 2:07:33
8136Cheryl Le Roux 2:32:13
8290Margi Hoffe 2:32:54
8291Steven Hoffe 2:32:54
8526James Cook 2:34:04 10 th Half
10092Mercades Munro 2:42:00
10898Kelly Van Zyl 2:46:27
13198Jacques Munro 3:02:13
13200Trinity Munro 3:02:13 1 st Half

56km
POS NAME TIME
2671Claire Craig 5:34:59 1 st Ultra
2807Clayten Gouws 5:37:47
3566Jans Van Wyk 5:49:55
6359Greg McHendrie 6:27:50
6470Carmen Andrews 6:28:39 1 st Ultra
Danny Carmichael-
6790Green 6:32:55
7055Stephen Mendes 6:36:06
7056John Thole 6:36:06
7057Claire Hodge 6:36:06
7251Hester Fourie 6:38:36
7252Erika Weber 6:38:36
7254Marius Fourie 6:38:37
7255Felicity Gallagher 6:38:37
7759Clinton Meyer 6:43:49 1 st Ultra
8386Peter Spence 6:50:58
AND THE WEDDING VOWS OF CAROL & TED

BETTYS BAY
47km

MAY
The first of May saw a few Striders heading out to Wellington to compete in the Western
Cape’s third biggest half marathon. At least one Strider ran the West Coast half and
another the full marathon. The Blue Bus had reached 5 th gear and Comrades preparations
were nearing its climax. Pack runs were slowly winding down.

SAFARI
21.1km
POS NAME TIME
1935Margi Hoffe 2:26:17
2051Mercades Munro 2:28:43
2549Clinton Meyer 2:47:29
10km
POS NAME TIME
287Jacques Munro 1:00:04

JUNE
While the majority of the club were in winter hibernation, a few brave and somewhat
foolish souls headed east to compete in arguably SA’s preeminent running event, the
Comrades Marathon. A long day on the road for the participants apparently could not
compete with the mental anguish the supporters had to endure.

COMRADES

NAME TIME # SEX # Category
Claire Craig 10:51:47 1121 440
Michael Mantel 11:30:10 8723 1259
Clinton Meyer 11:50:42 10237 4476
John Thole 11:50:43 10239 1561
Claire Hodge 11:50:43 2405 918
Patricia Coltman 11:50:45 2406 23

JULY
The euphoria of the Comrades Marathon soon gave way to the looming qualifiers for
2018’s ultra marathons. The ten week training for Cape Town Marathon had started with
Spookhill 15km.
The freezing confines of the badly burnt Knysna Forest played host to the popular annual
races in which a few members of the Blue Bus participated.
The annual Saaltjie Run in the Jonkershoek Nature Reserve also took place in July

SPOOKHILL
15km
POS NAME TIME
87Steve Mendes 1:10:04
110Claire Craig 1:12:24
275Robert McCreath 1:12:03
276Greg McHendrie 1:12:05
571Erika Weber 1:35:40
572Hester Fourie 1:35:40
576Carol Norvall 1:35:47
577Felicity Gallagher 1:35:47
578Peter Spence 1:35:48
587Cheryl Le Roux 1:36:15
588Marius Fourie 1:36:15
820Carmen Andrews 1:46:23
916Graeme Keehn 1:50:00
923Sonia Human 1:50:41
924Clinton Meyer 1:50:42

KNYSNA
21.1km
POS NAME TIME
106Steve Mendes 1:34:30
580John Thole 1:53:47
2171Carol Norvall 2:21:33
3955Jacques Munro 2:53:15
3956Mercades Munro 2:53:15
42.2km
POS NAME TIME
496Hester Fourie 4:53:43
497Marius Fourie 4:53:43
631Clinton Meyer 5:13:18

SAALTJIE RUN

AUGUST
Lengthy pack run were the order of the day. The double-up approach ensured the weekly
highlight of the Cappuccino Route on Sundays.
A few members of the bus took to the trails of Grabouw for the first race in the Green
Forest Series.

GREEN FOREST
1
208Peter Spence 2:37:30
POS NAME TIME
33Steve Mendes 1:51:13
49Jans Van Wyk 1:55:47
74Claire Hodge 2:04:18
170Carol Norvall 2:28:55
171Cheryl Le Roux 2:28:57
172Oliete Williams 2:29:05
173Marius Fourie 2:29:11
174Hester Fourie 2:29:16
175Felicity Gallagher 2:29:18

SEPTEMBER
The captain’s challenge started things off in September at the Botrivier Challenge. This
was followed by the AGM and the introduction of the Flying Moose trophy, and to the new
look committee.
The Cape Town Marathon was the second of the year to be struck by unseasonable
weather, this time the heat. Luckily the Striders all finished within the time limit, with
most managing to qualify for next year’s ultra marathons.

BOTRIVIER

AGM

CAPE TOWN
MARATHON
POS NAME TIME
987 Claire Craig 3:39:51
2100 Steve Mendes 4:07:59
2947 Jans Van Wyk 4:25:39
3835 Hester Fourie 4:41:03
3836 Oliete Williams 4:41:04
3837 Erika Weber 4:41:05
4456 Cheryl Le Roux 4:51:59
4684 Clinton Meyer 4:54:27
5112 Marius Fourie 4:59:08
5792 Carmen Andrews 5:15:23

OCTOBER
With Cape Town Marathon in the books, October saw three major half marathons. The
first being the second and final Green Forest Trail Series run. A day later, the second
biggest half marathon in the Western Cape, the Gun Run. Lastly, the mostly downhill
Meiringspoort Half Marathon.

GREEN FOREST
2
POS NAME TIME
134Steve Mendes 1:39:32
186Robert Mccreath 2:04:31
227Felicity Gallagher 2:22:19
236Oliete Williams 2:27:30
237Carol Norvall 2:27:31
238Peter Spence 2:27:34

GUN RUN
POS NAME TIME
485 Steve MENDES 1:39:42
2849 Clinton MEYER 2:06:42
3658 Carmen ANDREWS 2:14:31
3736 Jeremy WALKER 2:15:23
4525 Erika WEBER 2:25:08

1002Marius Fourie 2:15:16
MEIRINGSPOORT
POS NAME TIME
568Erika Weber 1:59:35
671Clinton Meyer 2:03:44
718Felicity Gallagher 2:05:59
1001Hester Fourie 2:15:15

NOVEMBER
November brought the club’s first (hopefully annual) Pink/Movember Run, where over
R2000 was raised for the PinkDrive and Movember charities.
The final big race for the club, the Winelands races, was held on the 11 th . 11 Striders ran
the half, 5 the full, and plenty supported as well.
Two of our best also completed the SkyRun 100km.

PINK/MOVEMBER
RUN

WINELANDS
21.1km
POS NAME TIME
273Greg MCHENDRIE 1:47:48
482Cheryl LE ROUX 1:55:01
725Erika WEBER 2:03:26
Danny CARMICHAEL-
786
GREEN
2:05:14
948Jeremy WALKER 2:10:25
995Carol NORVALL 2:11:37
994Peter SPENCE 2:11:47
1276Mike VORSTER 2:19:42
1410Steven HOFFE 2:23:46
1411Margi HOFFE 2:23:46
1897Kelly VAN ZYL 2:44:57

INELANDS
2.2km
42.2km
POS NAME TIME
693Jans VAN WYK 4:29:57
873Mike MANTEL 4:43:35
1236Oliete WILLIAMS 4:59:51
1237Felicity GALLAGHER 4:59:52
1399Clinton MEYER 5:21:07

SKYRUN
100km
POS NAME TIME
157Steve Mendes 28:25:57
158John Thole 28:25:59

DECEMBER
Rounding out a busy year, the club had it’s year end trot and breakfast, where honorary
memberships were bestowed upon two of our founding members.

MOEGOES
YEAR END

YEAR END TROT

PETER PRIOR
Joint first honorary member of
Somerset Striders
Co-founder of Somerset Striders in 2000
and remains an active member
20 Two Oceans Ultras: First in 1982
PB in 1985 of 03:49:25
6 Comrades Marathons: First in 1982
PB in 1986 of 07:24:25

SONIA HUMAN
Joint first honorary member of
Somerset Striders
Co-founder of Somerset Striders in 2000
and remains an active member
24 Two Oceans Ultras: First in 1983
PB in 1990 of 04:46:11
18 Comrades Marathons: First in 1983
PB in 1992 of 08:20:40

Special thanks to both the new and outgoing chairwomen, Cheryl and Erika, for
continuing to run the club so successfully. Looking back, I think we did alright this
year.
Thanks also to club captain Marius (assisted by Hester) and vice captain Jans for
organising the pack runs. The hard work that goes into making sure we get from point
A to B (or rather back to point A) is greatly appreciated.
To the outgoing secretary, Felicity, thanks for your hard work in compiling the
newsletter for the first three quarters of the year. And to Tim for all the behind the
scenes work, thank you.
I’m certain all the runners who took part in long pack runs this year would also like to
extend their gratitude to the regular support crew (Ted, Dave, Marietjie) for their
patience. And also to the gazebo team (Franc) for ensuring the gazebo is waiting for
us on race days.
Thanks to all the club members who continue to make this club what it is. Well done
to all who achieved their goals this year. Whether it be a PB or simply finishing a race,
no matter the distance or time, you’re doing better than the other 90% of the
population not doing anything.
Hope to see many of you next year at club runs, events and on race days.