Jackie Mekler
Jack "Jackie" Mekler (born March 4, 1932 in Johannesburg , † July 1, 2019 in Cape Town ) was a South African marathon and ultramarathon runner .
Life
Jackie Mekler was seventh in the Comrades Marathon over almost 90 kilometers in 1952 , was Marathon Champion of the South Transvaal in 2:42:57 h and won the Durban Athletic Club Marathon. In 1953 he was fifth in the Comrades Marathon and defended his two marathon titles.
In 1954 he improved to 2:28:58 h in a marathon in Port Elizabeth and a week later he became South African marathon champion in 2:35:26 h. He won silver at the British Empire and Commonwealth Games marathon in Vancouver , and in the fall he again won the Southern Transvaal Championship and the Durban Athletic Club Marathon.
In 1957 he was again national marathon champion. In 1958, a third place in the South African Marathon Championship was followed by his first victory at the Comrades Marathon. In 1959 he was third in the Comrades Marathon.
In 1960 he finished second in the South African Marathon Championship, stayed at the Comrades Marathon with 5:56:32 h as the first in the up-run course under six hours and won the London to Brighton Race .
In 1962 he finished second in the Comrades Marathon, and in 1963 he set a course record for the down run in this race with 5:51:20 h.
In 1964 he finished second in the South African marathon championship for whites with his personal best of 2:27:54 h. He won the Comrades Marathon for the fourth time. In 1965 he finished second there, in 1968 he drew his fifth triumph with previous record winners Arthur FH Newton , Hardy Ballington and Wally Hayward , and in 1969 he finished third.
In May 2019, Mekler published his autobiography Running Alone . Jackie Mekler died in Cape Town on July 1, 2019 at the age of 87 in his sleep.
Web links
- Jackie Mekler in the trackfield.brinkster.net database (English)
- Jackie Mekler the oldest surviving comrades winner dies
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Mekler, Jackie |
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES | Mekler, Jack (real name) |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | South African marathon and ultra marathon runner |
| DATE OF BIRTH | March 4, 1932 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Johannesburg |
| DATE OF DEATH | 1st July 2019 |
| Place of death | Cape Town |