'They deserve it' - Social runners cash in as Oldknow wins at Hollywood AC Gauteng Awards

As the 2025 season gets underway, many of the country's clubs have begun the year by looking back at the successes of 2024. This weekend, the Hollywood Athletics Club took the opportunity to celebrate their Gauteng runners at an awards luncheon which took place at the Killarney Country Club on Saturday (1 February) afternoon. For his 2:10 Olympic performance, bronze medal at the national marathon championships and clocking yet another sub 28 minute 10km at the Absa RUN YOUR CITY DURBAN 10K, Pretoria-based Stephen Mokoka took home the Male Athlete of the Year Award.

The Female Athlete of The Year Award went to Central Gauteng Athletics top runner Cian Oldknow. Oldknow enjoyed the best season of her career as she made her Olympic debut and finished as the first South African, won the national marathon title and the Athletics South Africa (ASA) Senior Women's 10km Cross Country title and ended the year as the third fastest SA female marathoner of all time thanks to a 2:25:08 clocking at the Sevilla Marathon in Spain last February.

Comrades Marathon Robert Mtshali medalists (sub 10 hours) walked away with R2500 each as over R2 million in Comrades cash incentives were paid to Hollywood AC 2024 Comrades finishers nationwide. Photo Credit: Hollywood AC.

"I feel really honoured. Hollywood has just been so good to us and they really look after us. It’s so good to be recognised for my achievements last year. I feel like it was the year of my life. The biggest one was the Olympics and to actually accomplish that dream felt amazing right from somewhere deep inside. I feel really privileged to have that recognition and it really inspires me to keep pushing this year."

Apart from the top runners, the awards also celebrated the achievements of the hundreds of ordinary club members who call the club home. In addition to recognising the most improved members, a social media personality of the year and the best male and female social runners, the club’s management also handed out cheques to all of the club's Comrades finishers. 

Oldknow poses for a photo with Hollywood AC President Greg Glossop after receiving her award. Photo Credit: Hollywood AC.

Ranging from R10 000 for a Wally Hayward medal which was won by Sikhumbuzo Seme (5:44:19) to R1000 for a Vic Clapham medal, every single finisher of the 2024 Comrades Up Run walked away a little richer. Although it is virtually unheard of for recreational runners to be rewarded with cash prizes, Hollywood AC General Manager Brett Goodwin says this is the club's way of thanking their runners for wearing the purple colours with pride.

"Runners are wearing our brand on a weekly and monthly basis when they run races. So by giving back to them whether it be at the awards or a Comrades incentive makes them feel like they've accomplished something. Comrades is a fantastic race and even just by finishing it, you have accomplished something. So whether it's R7500 for a silver or R1000 for a Vic Clapham medal, they've still completed the race and deserve to do something nice for themselves or their families. They can buy running shoes or something else. It really is an incredible thing that the Hollywoodbets team does for the Hollywood Athletics Club."