THE UNSUNG HERO
With so much attention being focused on Comrades Marathon winners Leonid Shevtsov, Elena Nurgalieva, and the other gold medalists on June 15 this year, a significant milestone in the history of the race never received the acclaim it deserved. This ‘’hidden’’ highlight was Riel Hugo’s 40th consecutive Comrades finish.
On that day, 66-year-old Riel Hugo quietly ran across the finish line just before the final cut-off gun, marking the culmination of a remarkable love affair with the race that started back in 1969. As a mark of appreciation for this unique achievement, the Comrades Marathon Association awarded Hugo his quadruple green number at a special function in Cape Town today.
Hugo lives in Durbanville in the Western Cape, and has run for the local club for the past 7 years. But it was for Germiston Callies that he ran his first Comrades Marathon. ‘’I did it just to see what it would be like,‘’ he recalls. ‘’At the end of the race, I would have been happy to walk away from Comrades, having achieved my goal of breaking 7 hours, but I saw Alan Ferguson wearing his Comrades blazer. I asked how I could get one, and he said I would have to run the race again. So I came back the following year, and I’ve never missed one since then.’’
Apart from his 40-year streak, which is spectacular in itself, Hugo has done brilliantly time-wise. He has 21 silvers (including a best time of 6:20 set in 1982), and a further 12 runs under 9 hours. Only 7 of his races have been over the current Bill Rowan Medal time of 9 hours.
Ultramarathon running is a way of life for Hugo. He has also completed 36 Two Oceans Marathon races and numerous standard marathons.
Comrades Marathon General Manager, Gary Boshoff applauded Hugo’s achievement. ‘’To run even a single Comrades is a remarkable achievement. To do 40 consecutively is superhuman, and shows amazing dedication and physical endurance. The entire Comrades family applauds Riel on his 40th consecutive finish.’’
Nine-time winner Bruce Fordyce, who handed Hugo his quadruple green number, echoed these sentiments. ‘’I have always admired Riel for his amazing consistency. But apart from that, he is a true Comrades runner, showing the respect and love for the race that is necessary to run it so often. I take my hat of to him and wish him many more Comrades finishes,’’ he said.
With acknowledgements to Comrades Marathon Association