Running community to remember Antonie van Zijl after Kaapsehoop Marathon death
Runners will retrace Antonie van Zijl’s final steps, lay flowers and take part in a 5km memorial run as the community pays tribute to the 37-year-old athlete.
Antoon Van Zijl, a 37-year-old marathon runner, tragically passed away on November 7 during the Kaapsehoop 4-in-1 Marathon in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Van Zijl had completed around 19km of the 21km race when he collapsed near the finish line. Fellow participants and spectators immediately rushed to provide assistance, and emergency services attempted to resuscitate him for approximately 45 minutes.
Despite their efforts, Van Zijl could not be revived. The Nelspruit Marathon Club, which organized the event, confirmed the runner's death and extended heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, fellow runners, and the broader running community. The club also requested privacy for the family and asked the public not to share images or speculate about the cause of death on social media.
National Chairperson of the Southern Africa Tourism Services Association, Oupa Pilane, also expressed his condolences, acknowledging the loss to the running community. Van Zijl was remembered by Rose-Marie Lange, one of his former employees, as a compassionate individual who made people feel valued and cared for. She cherished his nickname "Shorti" and his regular check-ins to ask how she was doing.
Lange, deeply affected by his passing, vowed to carry his lessons of kindness, respect, and humanity into her own leadership journey.
Written by urgent.news from IOL's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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