Jackie Mekler

Jack Mekler (4 March 1932 – 1 July 2019)[1] was a South African long-distance runner. His early life was spent in Johannesburg, where he attended Parktown Boys' High School.[2]

He won the Comrades Marathon five times as well as various other marathons around the world. He competed for South Africa in various international games.[3]

A 25 km Jackie Mekler race is held annually in Gauteng in his honour.[4]

Early life

Jackie Mekler finished seventeen in the 1952 Comrades Marathon, became the Southern Transvaal Marathon Champion in 2:42:57 and won the Durban Athletic Club Marathon. In 1953 he finished fifth in the Comrades Marathon and defended his two marathon titles.

In 1954, he improved in a marathon in Port Elizabeth at 2: 28: 58 h and was one week later South African Marathon champion in 2:35:26 h. He won silver in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games marathon in Vancouver, and in the fall he again won the South Transvaal Championship and the Durban Athletic Club Marathon.

In 1957, he was again national marathon champion. 1958 followed a third place in the South African Marathon Championship his first victory in the Comrades Marathon. In 1959 he was third in the Comrades Marathon.

In 1960, he finished second in the South African Marathon Championship, remained at the Comrades Marathon at 5:56:32 h first on the up-run track under six hours and won the London to Brighton Race .

In 1962, he was second in the Comrades Marathon, and in 1963 he set in this race with 5:51:20 h a track record for the down run on.

In 1964, he was with his personal best of 2:27:54 h second in the South African Marathon Championship for whites. At the Comrades Marathon he won for the fourth time. In 1965, he finished second there, in 1968 he moved with his fifth triumph with the previous record winners Arthur FH Newton, Hardy Ballington and Wally Hayward equal, and in 1969 he was third.

In May 2019, Mekler published his autobiography Running Alone. Mekler died in Cape Town on 1 July 2019 aged 87 years old.

References
  1. "Jackie Mekler the oldest surviving comrades winner dies | Daily News". www.iol.co.za.
  2. O'Carroll, Nan (2000). The Lion Roars. Black and Red Books. ISBN 0-620-26532-9.
  3. Comrades History Archived 2011-10-07 at the Wayback Machine Accessed: 07-07-2011
  4. "Home". Runner's World.


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