The Whalers Athletics Club turned out in force at the Voet van Africa Marathon in Bredasdorp on Saturday 19 September, with podium finishes across four team categories at one of South Africa’s most iconic races.

Known as “the Toughest Race with the Warmest Heart,” the Voet van Africa is organised by the Bredasdorp Athletic Club and offers distances from 10 km to a full marathon plus scenic trail runs through the Agulhas region. This year the Whalers entered teams in the 21 km and 42 km men’s and women’s categories, and came home with silver.

“We said we were almost done bragging, but we simply had to save this one for last,” the club said of its 21 km women’s showing, which saw four teams place in the top 26 out of a 33-team field. The A team claimed first place overall, led by Elizabeth Maritz (40+, 1:34:32), Susan van Schouwen (50+, 1:53:04), Mariska Erasmus (20-39, 1:53:08) and Rosene Matthee (40+, 1:54:48). The remaining teams placed sixth, 14th and 26th, with septuagenarians Jeanette van Wyk, Elsabe Kotze and Rina Machado among the finishers.

In the 42 km men’s category, the Whalers placed two teams inside the top 12 of a 21-team field. The A team took third: Waylan Arendse (20–39, 3:30:35), Charles Malan (50+, 3:57:59), Liam Temmers (20–39, 4:05:39) and Christo Vlotman (40+, 4:09:10). The B team placed 12th: Shane Mullis (20-39, 4:30:49), Liam Africa (20-39, 4:32:54), Josua Blom (50+, 4:37:32) and Godfrey Gillion (40+, 4:41:50).

The 42 km women’s squad also brought bronze home, finishing third out of four teams. Alethia Swart (20-39, 4:02:50), Helen McGuirk (50+, 4:30:57), Lona Siqhaza (20-39, 4:50:34) and Riana Volschenk (40+, 4:57:17) all completed the gruelling marathon distance.

The 21 km men rounded out the club’s haul with three teams finishing inside the top 20 of a 26-team field. The A team placed third, anchored by Reinhardt Steyn (20-39, 1:28:39), Philip Fyfer (50+, 1:34:02), Sean Privett (50+, 1:40:24) and Gerd Pieper (50+, 1:49:15). The second team finished ninth and the third team 17th, with Terry Kobus (70+, 2:08:42) and Frank Gillion and Edmund Ferreira (both 60+) proving age is no barrier on race day.