Career
Thys is a former African record holder in the marathon, and is the current holder of the South African record with his best of 2:06:33 from the 1999 Tokyo International Marathon, which was also the course record for that race. He represented South Africa in the marathon at four consecutive editions of the World Championships in Athletics from 1999 to 2005. He has also competed at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships on three occasions, highlighted by top six finishes in 1997 and 1998.
Thys contested the outcome and a protracted hearing following his competitive ban by Athletics South Africa eventually resulted in his exoneration.
Laboratory errors in processing his sample meant the Court of Arbitration for Sport Chemical Abstracts Service found in his favour. In May 2010 the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland overruled this decision, declaring that the Chemical Abstracts Service has no jurisdiction over this case.
Thys successfully argued to the court that the fact that the same technician had analysed both his positive samples (a breach of the anti-doping rules) had meant that the validity of the tests could not stand. His extensive running career, which began at the age of thirteen, has taken in around forty competitive marathons.
He came close to victory at the 2010 Beijing Marathon, but he slowed in the final stages and was runner-up to Siraj Gena.
