Veteran marathon runner Wally Hayward has died at the age of 97, the Comrades Marathon Association (CMA) said on Friday.
Spokesperson Gary Boshoff said the icon of the Comrades Marathon died in an old-age home in Johannesburg where he spent his last years.
”A couple of weeks ago, he was at a function where a cheque was handed to him. He looked very frail at the time.”
Hayward’s athletic career spanned a period of 60 years, during which he competed and excelled at distances from 100m to 100 miles, the association said in a statement.
He won his first Comrades Marathon at the age of 21 in 1930, after having won the national 10-mile championship earlier in the year.
”On his return to the race in 1950, he was discounted as a serious contender on the basis of his age — only to prove the critics wrong as he took the lead from halfway and won in a time of six hours and 46 minutes.”
Having competed on the track in his early 20s, he represented South Africa in the Empire and Olympic Games in the standard marathon and set world records for ultra-marathon distances.
Hayward remained best known for his achievements in the Comrades Marathon.
In 1988, friends persuaded him to participate in the 1988 Comrades Marathon at the age of 79.
”The nation was stunned as the 79-year-old hero crossed the finish line in a remarkable nine hours and 44 minutes,” the association said. ”Wally’s most dramatic moment came the following year, 1989, when he completed the down run at the age of 80.”
Veteran South African Broadcasting Corporation running commentator Ian Laxton remembers Hayward as an extremely talented athlete and doubts that South Africa will ever produce a running icon of his calibre.
”I really remember Wally from his later years in road running,” said Laxton. ”However, this is an enormous loss and his passing will leave a huge gap in the sport. I don’t see South Africa producing the likes of Wally again.
”He was an extremely talented person and was just born to run. He was big, strong, powerful and was very determined and became a pioneer in training and record breaking.
”Wally was just incredible in 1988 in the up run of the Comrades and in 1989, at the age of 80, struggled to make the cut-off time, which brought tears to our eyes. He was also a quiet and friendly man.
”We feel very sad, especially the running fraternity as a whole,” concluded Laxton.
The CMA added: ”Wally was cherished as an icon and will be remembered as an inspiration to thousands of runners.” — Sapa