My Story: Leo Benning - South Africa

Involvement in Masters Athletics, when and why.

In 1975 when Danie Burger returned from USA where he had studied chiropractics he asked various older athletes around the country to encourage 40+ competitors in our provinces (states) to support the formation of a SA Masters organisation. Danie had been one of our country`s top national athletes (Springbok) in his younger days. He had met David Pain who was the man behind the formation and advancement of masters athletics in your country and I have always regarded at the father of Masters Track and Field in the world. At that time I was living in Cape Town which is the capital of the Western Cape and the various sporting codes fall under Western Province. I thought it was a very good idea and became the founder of Western Province Masters in September 1975.

Greatest Moments in Masters Athletics

In 1990 I was awarded national colours (as were over 60 other South Africans). In 1993 at the then WAVA Championships in Miyazaki, Japan I took the M60 300 m hurdles bronze medal. In 2003 in Catalina, Puerto Rico in M70 high jump I won the gold medal (1.44) for a SA record. This was very special as I had a stent inserted just over a year before and was rather nervous. I remember disloging the bar on my very first attempt!

Athletic Highlights

He has been involved in track and field since 1950 (third last year at school) and road running, cross country and walking since 1969.

He ran eight Comrades Marathons (88km), the first in 1969 and got a silver in 1977 (7:26). Finished 25 Two Oceans (56km) missed silver (4 hours) by 3 seconds in 1975 and made it by about 3 ½ minutes the next year. Was a member of the Western Province Veterans 40+ marathon team that won the Inter provincial competition in East London in 1976. Including ultras, he has run 116 marathons between 1969 and 1998 but has competed in 300 high jump competitions during 41 years as a master athlete.

He was a member of the WP Veterans` 40+ cross-country team that was victorious in the SA Championships in George in 1979 and has run cross-country for over 30 years. In the Big Walk from Simonstown to Cape Town (36km) in the M45 – 49 group in 1978 he came second.

In 1990 Leo was awarded his SA Masters colours for track and field and for road running (10km, 15km, 21km) in 1996 and the SAMA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002. In 2011 in Sacramento, CA he received the Bonze Pin Award from WMA and received SAMA Life Membership in Pretoria in 2012.

Leo has attended many WAVA/WMA world championships and one world road running championship in 1996. In 1996 /1997 he was on the WAVA sub-committee that assisted with organising the world championships in Durban in 1997 and was the editor of the results book. He has been the co-manager (twice) and manager (five times). He has served on the South African Masters Athletics executive for many years as road running representative, statistician and treasurer and is the founder of the Western Province Masters Province (Cape Town area) in 1975 and has remained on the committee ever since and was the President for 15 years until 2016. He was the editor/producer/assistant editor of the WPM newsletter for more then twenty years. He has been the statistician on the AMA (Africa Masters Athletics) committee since it was founded in 1994 and is the WMA Statistician for Africa. He stood down in 2013.

In Miyazaki, Japan in1993 he was placed 3rd in M60 300m hurdles.

In Gateshead in 1999 he won the bronze medal in M65 HJ and was the chief manager. In 2003 at the WMA Championships in Puerto Rico he won the M70 HJ (SA record) and was also manager and part-time official. In the WMA Championships in Brazil in 2013 he won the silver medal in the M80 HJ which was a SA record.

Since 1976 to 2012 he has won the SAMA high jump 31 times and has held the record in this event in all the age groups from M40 to M80, SA and provincial and at present still holds some provincial ones and the SA 65, 70 and 80 records.