Wanderers Athletic Club - History

History

The club's beginnings are closely linked to the history of Johannesburg as the city was only established three years before the founding of the club when gold was discovered in the Witwatersrand area 100 km (62 mi) north of the Vaal River. The Wanderers Ground was the location of first South Africa Track and Field Championship in 1894 and in the 70th Anniversary Edition of the Wanderers Club Magazine published in 1959, the author of an article on the club athletics section stated before a survey of the club's historyt that "the story of Wanderers Athletics is practically the story of South African athletics".

For most of its history the club has been at the centre of South African athletics. During the first century of its existence it produced 54 Springbok South African representatives with the Blignaut brothers, P and PJ, becoming the first Wanderers Athletes to represent their country when the first ever South African athletic team was sent overseas. The last Wanderers Athlete to be awarded Springbok colours, before the advent of non-racial democracy created a new order of national sporting colours, was former King David School scholar, Mark Handelsman in 1981, who was the national men's 800 metres champion in the same year.

Famous athletes who have competed for the club include, Rhodes scholar and gold medallist in the 400 metres at 1920 Antwerp Olympics, Bevil Rudd, Comrades Legend, Wally Hayward, Bronze medallist in the 400 metres at the 1960 Rome Olympics, Malcolm Spence, and the "Queen Mother" and "Queen" of South African middle and long distance running respectively, Ann McKenzie and Sonja Laxton. In recent years perhaps the most celebrated athlete to compete for the club was former World 800 metres record holder, Marchello Fiasconaro, who under the guidance of coach, Stuart Banner, set a world best of 1:43,7 in 1973 running for Italy.

Two defining features of the Wanderers Athletics Club in over century of existence has been its ability to attract skilled and enthusiastic coaches and administrators. In the 1960s Bob Van Reenen, who gave his name to the old Krugersdorp Athletics track coached Anne McKenzie. In the 1970s and 1980s Stuart Banner coached a long succession of middle distance stars. Sprint coach, Jim Green, has been active in the club for over 30 years. Amongst its administrators, Section Chairperson from 1958 to his death in 1993, Joe Stutzen was a legend in South African athletics circles and rose eventually to become President of the South African Amateur Athletics Union in 1991.

In mid-1980s the club suffered severe decline with the departure of its leading coaches, Banner and Laraine Lane, and it was only in the late 1990s that the club again established itself at the centre of South African athletics and re-asserted its tradition as a major contributor to producing South African international athletes. Under the Chairpersonship of Bruce Morley and the coaching of Richard Mayer, Lungile Bhikwani, Barbara Nell and Gail De Szabo the club has produced seven South African senior national representatives, Simon Mpholo, Norman Dhlomo, Themba Miya, Lebo and Lebogang Phalula, Tshamano Setone, and Violet Raseboya.

Mention must also be made of Teddy Hutamo and Jacob Motsoeneng, who were precluded from South African selection due to the youth selection policy but who were instrumental in re-building the club's athletic and who proved themselves superior on many occasions to athletes selected for South Africa. Motsoeneng was South African 12 km Cross Country champion in 2004 comfortably defeating four men selected to compete for South Africa. Hutamo took silver in the 10 000 metres in the South African track championships in 2005 and was the sub-Veteran 10 km national cross country champion in the same year.

As a team the Club has won nearly every South African distance title possible in South African athletics, including the Central Gauteng Cross Country League, the Discovery Challenge Relay, the Port Elizabeth Great Train Relay, the Absa Challenge Relay and the Magaliesberg Steam Challenge.