Hobbyist Author Pens Comrades Centenary History on the Side

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When not raising funds for the University, Acting Executive Director of the UKZN Foundation, Mr Steve Camp relaxes by writing books.

The hobbyist author who already has some 22 titles under his belt ranging from children’s books to military history, recently penned the official definitive history of the Comrades Marathon - South Africa’s greatest ultra-marathon - with co-author Mr Brad Morgan.

In Your Stride:  100 Years of the Comrades Marathon, was completed at the end of 2021 in time for the centenary of this iconic sporting event. 

‘The world’s oldest and greatest ultra-marathon, the Comrades Marathon is a South African institution that is internationally recognised for the body-sapping challenge it poses and the camaraderie it fosters among its thousands of participants from all over the world,’ said Camp.

‘Researching its history was fascinating.  The race was born from an idea dreamed by First World War veteran Vic Clapham, who wanted a living memorial to those South African soldiers killed in the Great War. Clapham, who had endured a 2 700 kilometre march through sweltering German East Africa, wanted the memorial to be a unique test of physical endurance.

‘The constitution of the race states that one of its primary aims is to “celebrate mankind’s [sic] spirit over adversity”. First run in 1921, the Comrades Marathon has been held every year since, except from 1941-1945 when it was stopped during the Second World War, and in 2020-21, owing to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

‘Thirty-four runners entered the first race; it peaked at more than 20 000 athletes; and on Sunday 28 August 2022 the 89 km route will once again be run from Maritzburg to Durban with a capped field of 15 000 entrants, all keen to test their endurance in this “Ultimate Human Race”.’

Among their number will be 20 UKZN staff running under University colours.

In Your Stride captures the story and the images of this remarkable event, spanning 100 years, and appeals not only to runners but to those captivated by the triumph of the human spirit.

‘Writing books has been a hobby of mine for as long as I can remember,’ said Camp.  ‘Even at school, I would spend hours in the library and in bookshops, browsing the shelves and dreaming of one day writing my own book.

‘After a day in the office, I find it relaxing to spend time researching a topic that interests me, delving into the archives, paging through old newspapers, talking to the experts and hunting down relevant pictures and illustrations.  You never know what you will find.’

Camp has written a number of children’s books - mainly on environmental topics - as well as one on the architecture of Pietermaritzburg (Historic Pietermaritzburg), the history of South African manufactured landmine-protected military vehicles (Surviving the Ride), and one to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Dusi Canoe Marathon (Adventures on an African River), also with Morgan.

He is not only a man of letters, describing himself as a social sportsman who likes adventure.  He is one of only a handful of people to have competed in all five of South Africa’s “Big Five” events: 10 Comrades, 17 Dusi Canoe Marathons, 14 Cape Town Cycle Tours, 19 Midmar Miles and one Cape to Rio Yacht Race. He has also run seven Two Oceans. He is part of an elite group of international runners to have run a marathon on all seven continents, namely, the Great Wall of China, London, Inca Trail, New York, Sydney and Antarctica Marathons.

A keen scout, Camp has reached the summits of four of the world’s highest seven continental peaks: Mt Aconcagua, Denali, Kilimanjaro and Kosciusko. He was a member of the South African teams that competed in multi-day expedition adventure races in Ecuador and Vietnam (Raid Gauloises), and in Patagonia, Argentina (Discovery Channel Eco Challenge).  He also led the six-week African Powered Paragliding Expedition, flying a motorised paraglider from Kilimanjaro to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, and successfully completed the Roof of Africa Rally in Lesotho on a motorbike. Earlier this year he took time off work to circumnavigate the island of Mauritius in a canoe with his son, Stuart; and to paddle the 346km length of the river Thames from source to sea with his daughter, Sarah.

During his military training in the South African Army, Camp qualified for paratrooper wings and has since trained with and been awarded the military airborne wings of Israel, Burma, Estonia, Cuba and America. This particular interest led to his latest book project - researching and writing the history of the South African Paratroopers along with retired paratrooper General McGill Alexander.  They hope to get the book out sometime in 2023.

And to add a slightly off-beat quiver to the bow of this Renaissance man:  Camp still holds the Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled in a Zorb - a whopping 570 metres, set way back in 2006.

Not your average office-bound E.D.!

Words: Sally Frost

Photographs: Supplied