Grieving widow Danushca van Zijl and dozens of local runners retraced the final steps of Antonie van Zijl (37) on Wednesday morning, laying flowers and erecting a roadside cross where he collapsed during Saturday’s Tswelopele Kaapsehoop 4-in-1 Marathon.

Standing near the 19km mark along the race route, Danushca received her and her late husband’s race medal from Nelspruit Marathon Club chairperson Harry Moyo, along with a framed photograph of the couple running side by side during the Tswelopele Kaapsehoop 4 in 1 Marathon.

The procession, led by marathon sponsor Tswelopele Funerals, which provided support services, was guided along the route by the marathon’s official 21.1km lead vehicle and an iSecure escort.

It concluded with a 5km memorial walk and run back to Mbombela Stadium.

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Employer pays tribute

Van Zijl’s sudden passing on Saturday sent shockwaves through both the athletic community and Bolt & Engineering Distributors Group (BED), where he served as operations manager for the Rustenburg branch.

Having joined BED Klerksdorp in 2007, Van Zijl spent nearly two decades growing with the group. He previously managed the Welkom branch before taking the helm at Rustenburg, making history as one of the youngest operations managers in the company’s existence.

In an official statement, the BED family paid tribute to his character and leadership.

“Antonie brought a refreshingly different approach to every challenge, stayed positive no matter what, and made sure his team felt included and valued. Antonie led with his heart: he lived BED’s 100/0 values and was never afraid to roll up his sleeves alongside his team. He was proud of his people and his branch, and proud to be part of the BED family, and the BED family was proud of him. He set a standard of service and care that the Rustenburg team will carry forward, and that is how we will honour him.”

The company extended its deepest condolences to Danushca, their two daughters, and his extended family, friends, and colleagues.

Emergency response on race day

Van Zijl (Bib 20900) was competing in the half-marathon alongside Danushca (Bib 21858) when he suffered a severe medical emergency roughly 3km past the 16km checkpoint. Official RaceTec timing records confirm he passed the 10km split in 01:41:39 and reached the 16km mark at 02:27:52 before collapsing on the tarmac.

Eyewitnesses recalled a sombre scene as Danushca cradled her husband while surrounding runners called for medical assistance. iSecure managing director Dewald Strydom confirmed that first responders received the call at 09:16 and performed CPR and advanced resuscitation techniques for 45 minutes at the scene before efforts were stopped.

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Club urges respect for family

Nelspruit Marathon Club general secretary Apostle Never Nthani expressed profound sorrow on behalf of the running community.

“On behalf of the entire Nelspruit Marathon Club family, the executive committee, members and runners, we extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, fellow runners and the running community at this painful time,” said Nthani.

Nthani asked that the privacy of Van Zijl’s family be respected during this period of mourning and urged the public to refrain from unhelpful social media speculation regarding the cause of death.

At the time of publication, an official medical cause of death had not been formally released.

Tswelopele has undertaken to provide funeral services free of charge, and Van Zijl will be laid to rest in Rustenburg on November 20.