SIPOKAZI FOKAZI

SHE’S WON six South African titles in three running disciplines – road running, track and cross country – and represented the country more than 15 times.

Currently the first and only South African woman with a Gold Label status, there’s no doubt that Nolene Conrad, Cape Town’s long-distance runner and Two Oceans half-marathon champion, is an accomplished athlete in her own right.

Last month Conrad, a Bishop Lavis-born athlete who was raised in Blue Downs, impressed many when she became one of the top three women in the Old Mutual half marathon, finishing in first place at 01:16:17.

Following her was Zimbabwe’s Betha Chikanga, who finished at 01:16:42, and Susy Chemaimak of Kenya, who made it to the finish line at 01:17:01.

Her latest win came just a week after she represented South Africa at the IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia, Spain. Conrad was one of the top 25 athletes in the world to be bestowed with a Gold Label status for outstanding performances at the championships.

The IAAF Gold Label allows elite runners to participate in high-calibre races such as the London, Tokyo and Berlin marathons.

Conrad is the only female in South Africa with this status. The other three athletes are Steven Makoka, Lusapho April and Desmond Mokgobu.

But what many do not know about Conrad is that when she started running as a teenager, at Malibu High School in Blue Downs, she did so in secret as her parents didn’t permit her to be active because of bad asthma attacks that almost took her life.