Bruce Fordyce
Bruce Fordyce (born December 3, 1955 ) is a retired South African ultra marathon runner .
Athletic career
In 1977 he took part in the Comrades Marathon for the first time . Two years later he finished third and in 1980 second.
In 1981 he started wearing a black bracelet in protest against the inclusion of the Comrades Marathon in the celebrations of the 20th anniversary of the Republic of South Africa. Although he was attacked by spectators, he set a course record for the Up Run with 5:37:28 h.
By 1988 he defended his title seven times and improved the course records for the up run to 5:27:42 h and for the down run to 5:24:07 h. In 1989 he had to sit out because of an injury.
On February 4, 1990, he won a 100 km road race in Stellenbosch with the current African record of 6:25:07 h. This year he won the Comrades Marathon for the ninth and final time.
From 1981 to 1983 he won the London to Brighton Race three times in a row . His best marathon time is 2:17:18 h, placed second in the Buffs Marathon, which is not suitable for the best list because of its gradient . His best time on a regular course is 2:18:25 h, achieved as fourth in the 1985 Peninsula Marathon .
Personal
Bruce Fordyce studied archeology at the University of the Witwatersrand , which awarded him an honorary doctorate in 2007 . He worked with the anti-apartheid activist David Webster , who was murdered by the government in 1989 , in the Five Freedoms Forum . After his sporting career, he headed the Sports Trust from 1997 , an organization to promote popular sports.
Publications
- Comrades. Flower Press, 1985, ISBN 0620083395
- with Marielle Renssen: The Marathon Runners' Handbook. Human Kinetics, 2002, ISBN 0736044205
literature
- Mark Bloomfield: UltraRunning Interview: Comrades Champion Bruce Fordyce . In: Ultrarunning Magazine. 15th August 2013
- John Cameron-Dow: Bruce Fordyce: Comrades King. Tom Cottrell's Guide Book Publications, 2001, ISBN 095843302X
Web links
- Bruce Fordyce in the database of World Athletics (English)
- Athlete portrait at the ARRS
- Bruce Fordyce: Comrades King , portrait of Brad Morgan in SouthAfrica.info
Footnotes
- ↑ University of the Witwatersrand: Bruce Fordyce to Receive Honorary Degree from Wits University, his Alma Mater ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . November 20, 2007
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Fordyce, Bruce |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | South African ultra marathon runner |
| DATE OF BIRTH | 3rd December 1955 |