The passing of a running legend - Wally Hayward

For those who may have heard of him, sad news. For those that have never heard of him, read and be inspired:

Wally Hayward’s athletic career spanned a period of 60 years, during which time he competed and excelled at distances from 100m to 100 miles. Having competed on the track in his early twenty’s, represented South Africa in the Empire and Olympic Games in the standard marathon and set world records for ultra marathon distances, he remains best known for his achievements in the Comrades Marathon.

Wally won his first Comrades Marathon at the age of 21 in 1930, after having won the national 10 mile championship earlier in the year. It was an Up Run which he won in a time of 7hrs 27min, after which he returned to racing shorter distances.

By the time he returned to the Comrades Marathon 20 years later had established himself as the national champion over distance from 3 miles to the marathon. On his return to the race in 1950 he was discounted as a serious contender on the basis of his age, only to prove the critics wrong as he took the lead from halfway and won in a time of 6hrs 46min. The following year 1951 he powered his way to a 6hrs 14min victory slashing 7min 57second off Johannes Coleman’s 1939 record for the Down Run.

Hayward missed the 1952 Comrades Marathon when he competed for South Africa in the Helsinki Olympic Games, but triumphantly returned to the race again in 1953 to become the first athletes to smash through the six hour barrier with a 5hrs 52min. The following year 1954 he broke his own Up Run record win a 6hrs 12min victory.

In 1953 he traveled to England and established records in the London to Brighton, the 100 miler Bath to London and the 24 hour track race. In 1953 Wally Hayward he was also awarded the Helm’s Foundation Award for the Outstanding Sportsman of the Year for the African Continent. However, his visit to England cost him dearly, when the South African Athletic and Cycling Association declared him a professional for allegedly accepting donations for expenses in 1954.

His amateur status was only reinstated in 1974, after which he professed little appetite for racing, but nonetheless attended the finish of Comrades Marathon each year to inspire and encourage other runners. Several years later he was persuaded by friends to participate in the 1988 Comrades Marathon at the age of 79. The nation was stunned as the 79-year-old hero crossed the finish line in a remarkable 9hrs 44min, beating more than half the field.

Wally’s most dramatic moment came the following year 1989 when he completed the Down Run at the age of 80. There was hardly a dry eye in the stadium as Wally staggered across the line in an obviously distressed state, making the cut-off time by a mere 1min 57sec, after which he finally quit the race for good. To this day Wally has the distinction in the record books of being the oldest finisher of the Comrades Marathon.

Wally was decorated during World War 2, being made a Member of the British Empire. Multiple winner and was record breaker of most of South Africa’s best known races, as well as numerous overseas records as well. He was an Olympian, a Championship medallist and decorated war hero and an inspiration and hero to thousands of runners. Wally Hayward was certainly a legend in his lifetime.

One of the great characters of the race, Wally was cherished as an icon and will be remembered as an inspiration to thousands of runners, and perhaps millions of South Africans as one of South Africa's all-time sporting legends.