Frith’s marathon record for the ages

It was 33 years ago that Frith van der Merwe “flew” to a record-setting win in the down Comrades Marathon between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. For older generations, that feels like yesterday.

But putting it into sporting perspective, it means that 33-year-old golfer Ashleigh Buhai, who became only SA’s third winner of a women’s Major in Scotland, was less than a month old at the time.

It’s been three long years since Comrades has been run, due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Van der Merwe, now 58, and undoubtedly SA’s best female ultradistance athlete down the years before being recently challenged by Gerda Steyn, has already had to endure at least three personal heartbreaking losses over the years.

She lost her father Daniel four years after that record-breaking 5hr 54min 43sec triumph in 1989. Four years later her beloved husband Mike Agliotti died in her arms from cancer. And about five years ago she lost her mom Beth after a long struggle with dementia.

She doesn’t miss or pine for the Comrades, though, after walking away from the iconic event — having run seven and ending her career with a Bill Rowan medal.

“It just all got a bit much, really,” she reflected this week in-between organising a hectic schedule of a major cultural festival coming up at St Francis College, Benoni, where she’s a teacher. “I remember running my last Comrades and being very clear during the race that this was my last one,” she says.

“It sounds strange but I just kind of got sick of it and all the huge expectations it put on me year to year. In the end it was silly things like stressing about finding a decent toilet on the morning of the race. I knew it was time to quit.

“I still really enjoy the weekly park runs here in Benoni, though, because there’s no stress, no pressure to run times, you’re surrounded by like-minded people. I’d run about 300 of them before Covid-19 and every now and then they’d bring out the competitive side of me,” she grins.

She’s not even involved with the athletics side of things at school. “I’m always about for advice if the kids need it but I just have other interests now and am so excited for this weekend where we have subjects such as public speaking, robotics and multicultural topics, it’s just nice and different.”

Deny it as she does, but running still runs through her veins and is a daily habit of hers.

“I still run every day. It sounds strange to many people but I walk my dog at 4.30am and then run. He’s a rescue Scottish terrier that I got from Ermelo. His Afrikaans name was Skort but I’ve anglicised him to Scotty now!

“So I’ll do my half-an-hour run every day, but slowly, really slowly, probably about six to seven minutes per kilometre.”

Personal life

When it comes to her personal life she’s still very much single. “I’m very happy with my own company [and with Scotty] and live in a lovely complex with amazing people all about me.

“I did have a relationship with [former SA cricketer] Jimmy Cook for a while and even got him to run Comrades. We haven’t lost contact and still wish each other on birthdays and so on.”

The big question is what will this Comrades legend be doing come 5am on Sunday morning for the 95th running of the race.

“Oh, I’ll definitely watch it on TV, but I won’t be glued all day ... I always like to watch the start and then I’ll have it on in the background and pay attention to the first man and woman home and then the different cut-offs which are always nice and emotional.”

If ever anyone was qualified to hand out expert advice to novices ahead of this weekend’s slog it’s the woman who was dubbed the Comrades Queen during her glory years.

“Best advice ... don’t get all hyped-up at the start, take a water bottle with you to the start. Don’t start too fast because you WILL pay double later on. Stick to your race plan before and during the race. Don’t eat unusual things in the build-up.

“But most of all, just enjoy the day, for so many of us it’s just the most exciting day you’ll ever have and you’ll make so many friends. That’s what I miss even more than the racing — the fact that you meet so many people and get to share your aches and pains during and after the race.”

Is her “down” record safe? “If Gerda was running I’d be worried. I’ve always said that to beat my Comrades records, that person would have to have a quicker standard marathon time than mine. Gerda has exactly that and that’s why she bettered my up time in 2019.”

They say the more things change, the more they stay the same. So while Van der Merwe will probably have her feet up as she watches this year’s endurance epic, chances are that she’ll be toasting the final finishers with her customary evening tipple of white wine.

Salute to one of the best vintages ever produced by SA running!