Tonnie Dirks
Encyclopedia
Antonius Marinus Hendricus Maria "Tonnie" Dirks (born 12 February 1961 in Zeeland, North Brabant) is a Dutch
former long distance runner. He competed internationally on the track, road, and also in cross country
competitions.
He ran in the Marathon at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo
, finishing in 16th place with a time of 2:22:17. That year he also competed in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
, but he only managed to finish in 29th position. The following year he competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics
, but he did not finish in the Olympic Marathon race
. At the Amsterdam Marathon
in 1993, he took second behind Kenichi Suzuki
with a time of 2:12:27.
He was highly successful at the Warandeloop cross country race: he won in 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, and 1993, making him the runner with the most titles ever won at the competition. He was also a seven-time national cross country champion; only Kamiel Maase
and pre-war competitor Jan Zeegers have more wins than Dirks. He won the Eurocross
meeting in neighbouring Luxembourg
in 1991.
Further success came in road running
competitions in the Netherlands: he won the Zevenheuvelenloop
10-kilometre race three times consecutively from 1989–1991, setting a course record which was beaten by Haile Gebrselassie
after five years. He won the Egmond Half Marathon
in 1991, and was twice victorious at the Parelloop
race (in 1991 and 1993). He was also the 1992 champion of the Bredase Singelloop. At the Paderborner Osterlauf Half Marathon in Germany
, Dirks took first place 1989 and again 1991.
Dirks retired from competitive athletics in 1995 and began training athletes, including Luc Krotwaar
, Miranda Boonstra.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
former long distance runner. He competed internationally on the track, road, and also in cross country
Cross country running
Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road...
competitions.
He ran in the Marathon at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, finishing in 16th place with a time of 2:22:17. That year he also competed in the IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships
IAAF World Cross Country Championships is the most important competition in international cross country running. Held annually and organised by International Association of Athletics Federations , it was inaugurated in 1973, when it replaced the International Cross Country Championships...
, but he only managed to finish in 29th position. The following year he competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics
1992 Summer Olympics
The 1992 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event celebrated in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, in 1992. The International Olympic Committee voted in 1986 to separate the Summer and Winter Games, which had been held in the same...
, but he did not finish in the Olympic Marathon race
Athletics at the 1992 Summer Olympics - Men's marathon
The Men's Marathon at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, held on Sunday August 9, 1992. The race started on 18.30h local time. A total number of 87 athletes completed the race, with Pyambuugiin Tuul from Mongolia finishing in last position in 4:00:44...
. At the Amsterdam Marathon
Amsterdam Marathon
The Amsterdam Marathon is an annual marathon race over the classic distance of 42.195km held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands since 1975. It is one of the top ten marathons in the world.-History:...
in 1993, he took second behind Kenichi Suzuki
Kenichi Suzuki (athlete)
is a retired male long-distance runner from Japan, who won the 1993 edition of Amsterdam Marathon, clocking 2:11:56 on September 26, 1993.-Achievements:-References:...
with a time of 2:12:27.
He was highly successful at the Warandeloop cross country race: he won in 1984, 1985, 1988, 1990, and 1993, making him the runner with the most titles ever won at the competition. He was also a seven-time national cross country champion; only Kamiel Maase
Kamiel Maase
Kamiel Maase is a retired long-distance runner from the Netherlands, who is the current Dutch record holder in the 5,000 and 10,000 metres. He also holds the national record in the marathon, which he ran on 21 October 2007 in the Amsterdam Marathon.-Achievements:-External links:...
and pre-war competitor Jan Zeegers have more wins than Dirks. He won the Eurocross
Eurocross
Eurocross is an annual international cross country running competition which takes place in Diekirch, Luxembourg in February. It is one of the IAAF permit meetings which serve as qualifying events for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships....
meeting in neighbouring Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
in 1991.
Further success came in road running
Road running
Road running is the sport of running on a measured course over an established road . These events would be classified as long distance according to athletics terminology, with distances typically ranging from 5 kilometers to 42.2 kilometers in the marathon. They may involve large numbers of runners...
competitions in the Netherlands: he won the Zevenheuvelenloop
Zevenheuvelenloop
Zevenheuvelenloop is an annual 15 kilometres road running race held in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. It was first organised in 1984 and has grown to be one of the largest road races in the Netherlands; it attracted over 30,000 runners in 2008...
10-kilometre race three times consecutively from 1989–1991, setting a course record which was beaten by Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie
Haile Gebrselassie is an Ethiopian long-distance track and road running athlete. He won two Olympic gold medals over 10,000 metres and four World Championship titles in the event. He won the Berlin Marathon four times consecutively and also had three straight wins at the Dubai Marathon...
after five years. He won the Egmond Half Marathon
Egmond Half Marathon
The Egmond Half Marathon is an annual half marathon race over 21.1 kilometres that has been staged in Egmond aan Zee, The Netherlands since 1973. The competition normally takes place in early January. Sections of the road race cross along the beach and sand dunes of the village, situated on the...
in 1991, and was twice victorious at the Parelloop
Parelloop
Parelloop is an annual 10 kilometres road running competition usually held in late March or early April in Brunssum, the Netherlands. The inaugural edition was held in 1989....
race (in 1991 and 1993). He was also the 1992 champion of the Bredase Singelloop. At the Paderborner Osterlauf Half Marathon in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Dirks took first place 1989 and again 1991.
Dirks retired from competitive athletics in 1995 and began training athletes, including Luc Krotwaar
Luc Krotwaar
Luc Krotwaar is a Dutch long-distance runner, who is nicknamed 'The White Kenyan'. In the spring of 2003 Krotwaar ran 2:19.42 in the Rotterdam Marathon and only eight days later 2:13.41 in the Utrecht marathon.In the fall of 2003 he ran a personal best of 2:10.13 in Fukuoka...
, Miranda Boonstra.
National championship wins
| Event | Year |
|---|---|
| 5000 m | 1987 |
| 10,000 m | 1985, 1988, 1991, 1993 |
| Half marathon Half marathon A half marathon is a road running event of . It is half the distance of a marathon and usually run on roads. Participation in half marathons has grown steadily recently. One of the main reasons for this is that it is a challenging distance, but does not require the same level of training that a... |
1992 |
| 25 km | 1989, 1991 |
| Cross country Cross country running Cross country running is a sport in which people run a race on open-air courses over natural terrain. The course, typically long, may include surfaces of grass and earth, pass through woodlands and open country, and include hills, flat ground and sometimes gravel road... |
1986, 1987, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 2010 |