Warner Beach Comrades veteran celebrates birthday
The 90-year-old Warner Beach resident has completed the Comrades Marathon 15 times and still goes on daily 5km walks on the beach.
DANNY Greeff (90) of Warner Beach started running 57 years ago and he has clocked a total of 200 006 km. The Earth’s circumference is about 40 075 km, so Danny’s distance is roughly five trips around the planet (with a bit of extra detouring to the water table)!
Also read: Toti runner takes on his first Comrades Marathon
When he turned 90 on December 3, he was surprised by the calls and messages he received from strangers who saw him during his daily 5km walk at Baggies Beach.
“The phone started ringing at 04:00 and never stopped. Some of the calls and messages were from people I used to work with years ago that I didn’t even remember any more,” said Danny.
In his youth, Danny was a smoker but, when he kicked the habit in 1967, he noticed he was gaining weight.
“I was living in Welkom at the time. To keep the weight off, I decided to take up jogging and started on a rugby field close to my home. Later I moved to the main roads” he said.
Alongside his new hobby, Danny began meticulously tracking the distance he covered. Today, he has a collection of diaries brimming with kilometres run, a testament to decades of dedication. Between 1970 and 1995, he ran the Comrades Marathon 15 times which helped him stay fit.
René Matthews and Arthur Vorster of Warner Beach surprised Danny with a birthday cake during his morning walk and wished him well.
“We greet him every morning at 05:00 when he is on his route and we walk past him to Baggies. He is a very friendly gentleman. He is still strong and looking good. It’s just grace to be 90-years-old and still be on the road every day,” said René.
Danny appreciated the cake and thanked René and Arthur, as well as everyone who wished him well. He has no plans to stop hitting the road any time soon.
“While I can still walk I’m going to continue and not stop,” he said.
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