MILL PARK RUNNING GROUP SINCE 1986

This is an account of the history of the Mill Park Running Group as seen by Graham Botha at an annual Dinner held at the PE Club in Bird Street Port ELizabeth in about 2003

Mill Park Road Runners

History

The group was started on the 18/11/1986 by Andy Bolton and Adrienne Wilson. They were joined initially by Dassie Biggs, Herbie van der Merwe and Jumbo Williams. In time familiar names like Wally Hyam, Tim Lane Margie Saunders and Greg Ward-Able joined the group.

Routes were soon put in place, and the following programme was followed;

Monday – Town and Golf Course

Tuesday – Hill work in Target Kloof followed by a cool down around St Georges Park

Wednesday - Lovemore Heights

Thursday – William Moffit

Friday – St Georges Park and Linkside

Saturday – 24 km run normally to the beachfront

The group soon had success at the Two Oceans Marathon when Adrienne and Margie both achieved an 18th place in a few years. In the late 1980’s, Peter Giddy and Ron Pask joined the group, and the Paddy/Clem group joined in for the Saturday run. Adrienne started her run of pregnancies in 1991.

Kobus Gerber joined in 1991 (after Adrienne had fallen pregnant) and the group consisted of a nucleus of about 10 members for the next few years. From 1995 to 1998, a group of runners from East London infiltrated the ranks, and the group soon had up to 30 runners. It was soon evident that the pace did not suite everyone, and as a result a new group was formed at 6th Avenue Walmer. They were soon named the Amakrokakroka.

The year 2000 saw a huge swell in numbers, as old runners returned, and novices marked the turn of the century by doing memorable events, like the Comrades. We had 68 guests at our annual dinner in that particular year. Interest in road running has dropped off in the past few years, but the stalwarts at MPRR have ensured that the group has remained strong and vibrant.













Statistics

Members of the MPRR have completed the Two Oceans marathon 260 times

Members of the MPRR have completed the Comrades marathon 174 times.


Using the above stats, keeping in mind that some runners still run but no longer enter events, the following calculations have been made. (Factor = 285 years of running)

The group has run together 5219 times

The group represents in excess of 1700 completed marathons and ultras.

285 years x 52 weeks x 70 km = 1,037,400 km

In rugby terms, we have run around a rugby field 2,593,500 times.

The Earths circumference = 6347 km – we have run around the world 164 times.

We have run to the moon and back, and are 30% of the way on the way up again.

At 5.5 min per km, we have run for 95095 hours.

Andy and Gerald have just clocked 85000 km each.

We have used in the region of 1150 pairs of running shoes (at today’s prices = R 920 000)






















The road so far


In 1986 a young lady and a chap
Started to run from a new place on the map
As runners will know they trained in the dark
But they could not be safer, they were in Mill Park

Although they were fast, good, looking and smart
They only could muster two runners to start
The word soon got out about the lady and the lout
And others then joined them to get out and about

Routes were chosen and set in place
And occasionally they attracted a fresh new face
Up hills and mountains they did run
But no one could imagine what this group would become

The years rolled by for these chaps and ladies
Some got lazy and some had babies
Many joined the Mill Parkers to run
And most of them stayed because it was fun

The turn of the century was soon upon them
And many old hands returned to run again
The group got so large that the roads were too small
And often we saw the clumsy ones fall

We were asked to run from our corner no more
By a famous young lady known as Amore
She considered our cars to be no good fun
Even though she once had a Beemer stuck under her bum

The group has survived through this all
Because we welcome all people, big or small
No dogs are allowed, as we very well know
Our Chairman politely just tells them to go

We have teachers and preachers brokers and tutors
There are salesmen and doctors and chap selling computers
Also professors and students and a man in the arts
A gardener, some bankers and a man who heals hearts

Our travels have taken us far and wide
We’ve seen cities galore and oceans from both sides
We’ve run in snow bundled in fleece
And few lucky ones even ran in Greece



Things in our country have changed a lot
But things at Mill Park certainly have not
Whilst others have seen there fortunes reverse
Our chairman finds change completely perverse

As friends we have grown for many a year
We shared joy and success and even a tear
A better group of friends we don’t think there are
We are truly blessed to have M P R R