Who runs this town
FOURWAYS - Former runner, biochemistry and physiology graduate Ivor Williams uses a combination of brain and brawn to lead his star runners to victory.
Williams is a Fourways resident and a member of the Rand Athletics Club where he coaches pedigreed runners. He coached his daughter, Mandy Silver, who was selected by Athletics South Africa (ASA) to participate in last year’s South African Half Marathon Champs held in Pretoria on 15 November. She finished 18th overall.
Peter Erasmus from Sunninghill finished in second place in the over 60 category. Ian Bailey, who was also selected by ASA, ran in the South African Half Marathon Champs race. Douglasdale resident Gill Seiling finished 10th overall in the same race. All three runners were trained by Williams.
He said, “I think it is great that all four runners I trained were selected by ASA for the Half Marathon Champs last year.”
He was a factor in the success of Inna Saunders and Mark Page, who he trained for the Comrades Marathon. Both runners were recipients of gold medals.
Williams said, “My training programme requires three months of specific training so athletes can reach their peak.” He said one of his techniques included kilometre repeats, which he explained as a set of seven sprints each consisting of 1 km. “I make them do a 1 km sprint while timing them. Then they rest and I make them do another sprint.”
