1989 was a wonderful vintage, not only for the birth of the UTi Rhodes Trail Run.
A quick glance through history reveals some momentous events that rippled the globe 25 years ago.
On the sporting front, Frankie Fredericks posted the world 3rd best 100m time for that year, Evette de Klerk the 2nd best 200m time, Myrtle Botha the 2nd best over 400m, while Matthews Temane set the world best half marathon time of 1989 with a 61:10. The existing South African track records for 3000m walk, Chris Britz; 20km walk, Stanley Valentine and 200m, Evette de Klerk were established in 1989 and in February Bruce Fordyce established the 100km record. Ernest Tjela won the 1989 San Francisco Marathon and Ingrid Kristiansen, who inspired so many Norwegian runners, won both Boston and New York.
Closer to home and to everyone's heart, the Reach for a Dream Foundation started inspiring hope that year, and in December of 1989 our event partner, first Ascent, opened it's doors for the first time.
And in the teeny village of Rhodes, in the shadow of Ben MacDhui, Mike Forshaw and Mariëtta van Rooyen (nee Sassenburg) take the honours at the first Rhodes Run. But that is a story for another time.
