History of the Hilton Harriers

In the words of Gavin Elliot, "It all started one Thursday evening in October 1971 when a small group of runners set out from Crossways Hotel to run to Hilton College and back. Most of these runners had been running independently, but were brought together on this particular run by Gillie Hay. Others present were Bob Jenkins, John Huber and Trevor Harborth. The group started as a fraternity of like minded runners coming together to do their Comrades training. Their results show that they were a group of serious, quick runners.

The actual term "Jog and Grog" was coined by Rusty Baker at a session in the Crossways pub on Thursday 27th January 1972 when we felt we needed a motto that suitably described our chosen (sic) hobby. Present on that historic occasion were Trevor Harborth, John Huber, Bob Jenkins, Gavin Elliott, Gordon (Rusty) Baker, Roger Rennie, Derek Palframan, Ronnie Davel and Gillie Hay." Soon after the emblem to suit this name of a running beer tankard was designed by Graham Elliott. Glenda Darvel also recalls how at this time club members would do informal training runs to Michaelhouse School at Balgowan and beyond over weekends where wives and children would picnic at the water falls just past Ligetton. Training runs to Hilton College and in the Natal Tanning and Extract Company(NTE) forest now owned by Mondi were also very popular.

At a meeting of the Natal Armature Athletics Union (NAAU) on the 22 June 1978, our clubs constitution was accepted and we were placed on probation of one year. At the N.A.A.U . Annual General meeting on 25 August 1978 however, our club was put forward and accepted as an affiliated club." In the venerable words of Gavin Elliott the Hilton Harriers' first Chairman at the club AGM held on 18 January 1979, "On the 8th of June, 1978 you appointed Dave Cook, John Huber, Sotis Mastrianous and myself as your committee to see the club on its way as an official club”, and so it began; The Hilton Harriers.

The Origins of the Ronnie Davel Memorial race lie in a shared event held in association with Collegian Harriers the club with whom most of our founder members first ran. The Natal Witness on 8 September 1973 reported that this race was to start at 6.30 a.m. from the entrance to Midmar Dam and finish near the Hilton Police Station. There were to be both an A and a B division which would start at the same time from the Midmar Dam entrance and would follow the same route except that the A division will enter the Midmar complex and do a circuit of the dam before going through Tweedie, Howick, Merrivale, the JJ Cedara Drive-in, Cedara and Hilton. The respective distances were 20 miles and 13 miles. The organisers suggested that any runner who could not complete 20 miles in under three hours should enter the shorter race. Entries were only accepted at the start and there was no entrance fee. Refreshments were served at Crossways Hotel now the Old Main brewery/The Junction Pub at a nominal charge. Ronnie Davel died 9 July 1977 and the existing club run became the Ronnie Davel Memorial run and was first held as such on 1 April 1979. Over time the route was changed with a common start and finish point proving to be more practical until we reached where we are today with our 16km run in the green forests and village of Hilton.

Another event held by the Hilton Harriers and also an off shoot of the original Midmar Hilton run was the now defunct Mildlands Marathon which was held between Nottingham Road and the Dargel polo grounds in the 2000s. It used a beautiful route past Fort Nottingham winding through the verdant farm lands of the Dargel valley. Logistically an event like this became ever increasingly complicated for the club to manage and was first gifted to another running club in the area before it was finally cancelled by them.

Today our club continues to go forward strong in our love of running and the pleasure of being with the people we run with, in the forests and on the roads around Hilton.