EDUCATION
- 1st Class Matriculation – Diocesan College, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa (1966)
- American Field Student Exchange Scholarship to Los Angeles, California (1967/68)
- MBChB, University of Cape Town, South Africa (1974)
- MD for thesis “Exercise and the Heart”, University of Cape Town, South Africa (1981)
- DSc (Med) in Exercise Science (2002)
PROFESSIONAL FUNCTION
- Professor in the Discovery Health Chair of Exercise and Sports Science Department of Human Biology at the University of Cape Town (2000 – date)
- Director of Medical Research Council/University of Cape Town Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine in the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, Newlands, South Africa (1989 – date)
RESEARCH ACTIVITIES
The current research focus of the MRC/UCT Research Unit is to develop a novel neurobiological model of integrated human function during exercise and to use this model to optimise human exercise performance, the treatment and prevention of sports injuries, the and treatment and prevention of chronic diseases. This research has led to more than 350 scientific publications in many leading scientific publications. Professor Noakes is also author of Lore of Running which is in its 4th Edition. Co-author of Running Injuries, Lore of Cycling and Rugby Without Risk.
MAJOR APPOINTMENTS
1990 – 2006 Editorial Board, sixteen international publications and one local scientific publication. Also on Advisory Board of two publications.
AWARDS
- 1973 Medical Association of South Africa. Best student paper published in the South African Medical Journal in 1973
- 1983 Andries Blignaut Award. Best multi-authored paper published in the South African Medical Journal in 1983
- 1983 One of Jaycees Four Outstanding Young South Africans
- 1989 Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine
- 1991 Andries Blignaut Award. Best multi-authored paper published in the South African Medical Journal in 1991
- 1992 Elected Fellow of the University of Cape Town for sustained excellence in original scientific work
- 1992 and 1993 One of the three finalists of the Burroughs Wellcome Gold Medical award for medical research in South Africa
- 1993 Medical Research Council Publication Award for the best publication record by a South African medical scientist during the previous 3 years
- 1995 Selection Committee – International Olympic Committee (I.O.C.) Olympic Science Prize
- 1996 Citation Award of the American College of Sports Medicine
- 1996 J B Wolffe Memorial Lecture, American College of Sports Medicine
- 1998 Cutter Lecture. School of Public Health, Harvard University, USA
- 1999 Honour Award of the South African Sports Medicine Association (First such award)
- 1999 Elected Founding Member, IOC Olympic Academy of Sports Sciences, Medical Commission, International Olympic Committee
- 2000 Endowed (Discovery Healthy) Chair in Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Cape Town
- 2001 Ministerial Commission into High Performance Sport in South Africa
- 2001 International Cannes Grand Prix Award for Research in Medicine and Water
- 2002 Best congress presentation - Annual Congress of the Canadian Sports Medicine Association
- 2003 Book Award of the University of Cape Town (Lore of Running)
- 2003 National Research Foundation, Technology and Human Resources for Industry Programme (THRIP) Excellence Award
- 2004 University of Cape Town Book Award for 4th Edition of Lore of Running
- 2004 National Research Foundation rating as an A1 scientist (the highest possible rating in South African Science)
- 2006 National Foundation for Research and Technology: Award for Individual over a Lifetime.
- 2006 Men’s Health Annual Awards: Recipient of Best Man Award in the category for Science and Technology.
- 2007 Named a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Foundation of Rotary International.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION – TO BE USED SELECTIVELY
Timothy Noakes is Professor in the Discovery Health Chair of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Cape Town. He is also Director of the UCT/MRC Research Unit for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine and co-founder with Morné du Plessis of the Sports Science Institute of South Africa of which he is presently the Executive Co-Director. Whilst a student at UCT, he rowed for the South African Universities on two consecutive seasons and was awarded University full Blue colours. He began long distance running in 1972 and, at the time of his last marathon in 1990, had run more than 70 marathon and ultra-marathon races including 7 Comrades Marathons (best time 6 hours 49 minutes) and 15 Two Oceans Marathons (best time 3 hours 59 minutes). Thereafter he was active in cycling and triathlon events and completed the Argus 105km Cycle race on 8 occasions.
Noakes is the author or co-author of more than 350 scientific publications and is on the Editorial Boards of 13 international scientific publications. He is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. In 1992, he was elected a Fellow of the University of Cape Town for sustained excellence in original scientific work. In 1992 and 1993 he was also one of the three finalists for the Burroughs Wellcome Gold Medal award for Medical Research. In 1993 he received the Medical Research Council Publications award for the best publication record in the previous three years by a South African medical scientist. In 1996 he was awarded the Citation Award of the American College of Sports Medicine and was the first African and one of very few non-North Americans to present the prestigious J B Wolffe Memorial Lecture at the American College of Sports Medicine. In 1999 he was elected as one of 22 founding members of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Olympic Science Academy. In 2001 he received the International Cannes Grand Prix Award for Research in Medicine and Water, for his studies of water intoxication in athletes. In 2002 he received the Doctor of science degree from the University of Cape Town.
His book Lore of Running is in its fourth edition in South Africa and the United States and has been translated into Japanese. It is widely praised as the most complete such book yet written – the “Bible” of running. In 2003, Lore of Running was awarded the University of Cape Town Book Award. Noakes is also co-author of Running Injuries (with Steve Granger), Lore of Cycling, Running Your Best (with Steve Granger) and Rugby Without Risk (with Morné du Plessis).
Noakes is married to Marilyn Anne. They have two children, Travis (born 1973) and Candice (born 1975).
KEY POINTS – USE FREELY
- Professor in the Discovery Health Chair of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Cape Town.
- Author of Lore of Running.
- Author or co-author of more than 350 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals.
- A1 rated scientist by the National Research Foundation (highest possible rating).
- Recipient of the National Foundation for Research and Technology Award for “Individual over a life time” in 2006.
- Recipient of Men’s Health Best Man Award in Science and Technology for 2006.
