About
The FHAC is situated in the heart of the Fish Hoek valley, equidistant from both oceans. The club has a strong family ethos. This is evident in the club’s participation in races, support in club events and the Fish Hoek community as a whole.
While there is a strong involvement in road running, our members also participate in trail, cross country, walking and triathlons. We promote participation in events rather than victory at any cost. However, through this very participation we have developed a number of top performers who have and continue to fly the Fish Hoek flag proudly at provincial and national events.
Racing events are not complete until the Fish Hoek gazebo has been dropped. Our Fish Hoek gazebo is known to be the last structure standing at most events, proudly welcoming in our last competitors.
From humble beginnings . . .
It was in September 1977 that DJ Price, Don Holgate, Paddy Mills and Bert Thompson first met at DJ’s house to found the Fish Hoek Athletic Club.
Four members however were not enough to register a club, and Don Holgate’s children were quickly recruited as members to make up the required numbers.
The next hurdle to overcome was getting together the R50 required for registration. Paddy Mills’ mom of the Avenue Hotel came to the rescue though, and generously sponsored the (then pretty steep) registration costs.
And so the Fish Hoek Athletic Club was born. They really got going in 1978, with regular meetings held in Don Holgate’s garage. A favorite meeting place to run was the Garden of Remembrance at the bottom of KommetjieRoad
Jess Hutchinson, the son of Mavis Hutchinson (known in the late 70’s as the “Galloping Granny”) came up with idea to run a Fun Run (the first Fun Run in the area) in conjunction with the Mardi Gras. This event, then run on the 2nd January, with a start at the back of AP Jones, was to become the South-Easter.
The first president of the Club was John Buck, and this position was ably taken over by DJ Price a number of years ago, upon John’s demise. In October 2007, DJ became the only person to have completed every Voet van Afrika Marathon ever run. This year sees the 33rd year of the race. As a matter of interest, DJ ran his first marathon (Peninsula) in 1965.
The current clubhouse was opened in 1991.
The Club salutes our past Chairmen, who have stood “the test of time” in ensuring the success of the Club:-
A special word of thanks to Kim Jenkinson-Wright for compiling this history.
Promote athletics as a sport with a view to the optimal development of the athletics potential residing within our community
To encourage and provide an opportunity for its members to take part in Walking, Jogging, Running, Cross Country, Road Races and Track & Field events at all levels of performance.
Contribute towards the development and transformation of our Community, through the Development of Athletics from Grassroots to the highest levels of Excellence.
To promote an interest in the opportunities for athletes in the False Bay Area;
Committee - Meet the team
We are the lucky few who get to help shape our members and their families’ 2025/2026 experiences around running. All our decisions are in the best interest of Fish Hoek Athletics Club and we look forward to growing our running community, catering to all levels of runners.
Mark Jacobs
Chairman
I’m excited to help steer FHAC and enjoy the beautiful runs and warm community in the Deep South. I started running in the ’90s, took a long break for family & work and got back into running in 2019. My wife Karen and I joined FHAC in 2023 and it’s now proudly our home where we love catching up on races and sharing the joy of running.
Lambert Greeff
Vice Chairman
I’m honoured to serve as vice chair and love everything from fun runs to ultras, whether on road, trail or triathlon. Having earned my Comrades back-to-back medal and PUFfeR permanent number in 2025, I’m excited to support the club in my new position and tackle new challenges ahead.
Greta Brock
Club Secretary
After 20 years with Celtic Harriers, I joined FHAC in 2025. I have extensive experience volunteering and organising road races, including the Two Oceans events, and remain an active runner and Parkrun volunteer. I bring a combination of running, administrative and committee experience to support the club’s activities and events.
Andre Blom
Clubhouse Manager
AKA Blommie. I’ve been running for 12 years for the sheer enjoyment (and the post-run beer!). I’m passionate about creating a club that feels like family and where everyone feels welcome. My aim is simple: to support members and help make FHAC a place we all love to be.
Adrian Hayes
Club Captain
I have been a member of FHAC since 1988 with my family. I have been Club Captain since 2013. I am always passionate about our members and their goals and dreams.I have been running since I was 10 years old, and have achieved my dream of 10 Comrades and 10 Two Oceans Ultra Marathons.
Collette van Eck
President
Hi, I’m Collette, and I’m honoured to serve as President of FHAC. I joined the club in 1987 and over the years have run countless 10km, 15km and half marathons, along with a few marathons and one Two Oceans Ultra. I’ve always loved the shorter distances and cross-country most of all. In the 35 years that I have been running I have run innumerable 10 km, 15 km and 21 km races but have only managed to fit in 6 marathons and 1 Two Oceans Ultra.
Shirley Smith
Membership
I have been with FHAC since 2017 and help with club membership, licence numbers and kit. I enjoy both road and trail running and have loved the support and guidance from fellow members when tackling bucket-list challenges. Being part of such a welcoming community makes every run even more rewarding.
Zeta Booysen
Red Hill Race Director
I've been a member of FHAC since 2016 and got involved with Red Hill in 2019, taking over as coordinator in 2022 — a role l've proudly carried ever since. I believe the reason I get the "job" done is my patience under pressure, and I'm looking forward to continuing to serve the club as part of the 2026 FHAC committee.
Charmaine Graney
Treasurer
I started running about 13 years ago and have been a club member for 8 years. I recently returned to running by joining one of Moira's beginner running groups. For the moment it's slow, short distance road running for me. As Treasurer, I'm responsible for balancing the books, paying the bills and keeping an eye on the cashflow
Jacky Clarke
Social Coordinator
As social coordinator I get to combine my love of running with my experience in event organising to help build a stronger, more connected club community. I look forward to creating great experiences for all our members, on and off the road.
Lauren Tuck
Newsletter Editor
I’ve been a member of FHAC since 2022 and have been running away from my problems since 2012. I have run everything from road to trail, short course to ultras. I’m passionate about clear communication and can’t wait to get involved in keeping everyone up to date with everything happening in the club.
Cameron Mackintosh
Bar Manager
Hi, I’m Cameron, FHAC bar manager, and I’m responsible for keeping the beers cold and the vibe welcoming. My goal is to keep the drinks cheap and make sure everything runs smoothly behind the bar. Cheers to the year ahead!
James Gaylard
Joint PUFfeR director
I’m the joint coordinator for PUFfeR and have been a proud FHAC member since 2018. I enjoy all types of running, but long trails are my favourite. Nothing beats escaping into the mountains for a few hours. I’m passionate about building community and supporting runners of all levels and abilities.
Andre Strydom
Joint PUFfeR director
Hi all, Andre here, your new Puffer co-director. I have a keen interest in long distance running, but trail is where my heart is. It just so happens that my favourite race is Puffer and I aim to complete 10 of them. Only three to go. I look forward to getting stuck in with the committee and helping it go from strength to strength
Bradley Trout
Cross Country
I was born in Cape Town and have called the Deep South home since 2007. After moving to Fish Hoek with my family in 2023, I joined FHAC and quickly felt part of the community. I’m passionate about running (and cycling, I’ll admit) and love seeing people reach their potential. For me, the key to training is simple: just show up.
Michael Gibson
Short Course Incentive Coordinator
I have been running most of my life and been a FHAC member since 2022. As short course coordinator I would like to get more members involved in running the shorter distance races - whether it be on the road, cross-country or even the track. I have completed one Comrades and one Two Oceans Ultra - it is good try something at least once.
Chris Dooner
WP Athletics Representative
I started out walking with SANDF KZN before moving to Simon's Town in 2001, where I took up running with SANDF WP and later qualified as a Road Running referee. Since joining FHAC in 2021, I’ve continued serving as a Technical Official while still running most of the races I officiate.
Veronique Rossouw
Trail coordinator
As Trail Coordinator I’m focused on building inclusive training groups, offering race prep support and hosting fun events to make trail running more accessible. I’m also passionate about caring for the trails we love by supporting projects that keep them safe, sustainable and enjoyable for everyone.
Paul Kearns
Joint Long Distance Incentive Coordinator
I started running in 2019 to change my lifestyle, quickly discovering a passion that led me to join FHAC. Since then, I’ve tackled iconic races like Two Oceans, PUFfeR, and Comrades, learning that resilience and mindset can overcome any challenge. I hope my journey inspires others to keep pushing, no matter the distance or obstacles.
Eric Nathan
Joint Long Distance Incentive Coordinator
I was never much of a runner but joining FHAC changed all that. I'm now on a mission to spread the bug to as many others as possible.
Captain's Corner
Once Fish Hoek AC reopened its doors towards the end of 2021 (after 18 months of Covid-enforced dormancy), amongst our immediate objectives were the re-establishment of two pillars of our club life: Club training runs and the Wednesday evening Time Trial.
After a sluggish start (which was to be expected), we have seen a steady growth in the number of runners attending both Time Trial and the Saturday Club run through the last few years. The kiddies Time Trial that precedes the main Time Trial on a Wednesday evening, has gained traction and is a fun option for the whole family.
There has also been an enthusiastic response to the various training runs that are on offer during the week. Please keep an eye on our Whatsapp groups for details. We post our Saturday long runs in advance on our website calendar. We are blessed with awesome members who volunteer their time to second our runs when they can’t. Here again details are shared on our Whatsapp groups.
We have additionally introduced the Long Course Incentive; regular Trail runs for all paces and a Two Oceans 18-week training programme.
We are seeing more and more of our members participating at races of all distances and terrains. With our membership numbers on the rise, we are confident that Fish Hoek AC will once again become one of the most well-represented clubs in the Western Cape, whether it be on the road, on the trails or at cross country events.
Happy Running!
