Van Zyl rekindles love affair with Soweto Marathon
Distance star looks forward to event and hopes for a fourth win
Veteran star Irvette van Zyl is eyeing a fourth victory at next Sunday’s Soweto Marathon, a race that has taught her how to conquer adversity.
What started as torture in her 42.2km debut back in 2011 has blossomed into a fullblown romance with a tough course on which she won from 2017 to 2019.
The 36-year-old is arguably South Africa’s unluckiest Olympian, with injuries scuppering her three Games races in 2012, 2016 and 2021 with two DNFs and a DNS, but this iron maiden of the tarmac has refused to give up.
Van Zyl would like to get to Paris 2024. A major change for the mother of two boys has been coaching herself since last year, and despite having a torrid five months at the start of 2023, she’s built up her training miles, fitness and confidence. “I just really want to win [the Soweto Marathon],” she told the Sunday Times this week.
“But if I come top three, that will also be fine. I also want to enjoy it.”
The Soweto Marathon doesn’t produce fast times. Apart from the altitude, it also has hills translating into 579m of elevation (Cape Town Marathon has 179m).
Both the 2hr 16min 28sec men’s record from 2012 and Van Zyl’s 2:33:43 women’s
mark from 2018 are several minutes outside the latest Olympic qualifying standards.
“I like Soweto,” said the Hollywood Athletics Club runner. “I think I’m the only person that really likes that race so much. The atmosphere is great. The people along the route are cheering and hosing runners down. The most support I’ve got is in Soweto.”
The race is also intriguing to her and plays out differently each year. The first half is easy and fun, and the second half is dominated by hills and heat.
Van Zyl knew she was destined to return after failing to finish in her first attempt 12 years ago. “I fell at the start. Everyone ran over me and I was quite hurt. Eventually I sprang up and started running like a rocket. I used up my energy too fast,” said Van Zyl, who had R20 on her.
“At 38km there was a taxi that came and parked right in front of me. I was hurting so much I thought I’m just going to get into the taxi.”
She was fifth when she packed it in.
Van Zyl has to fit her training between lifting and helping her sons, aged eight and five, with homework and other after-school activities. She also does her long runs during the week to enjoy more family time on weekends.
A former world 50km record-holder, she is keen to bury her Olympic ghost and is eyeing a fourth Games, having already posted a 2:26:11 qualifying time in Valencia last year.
It’s the second quickest marathon by a South African woman, but she wants to improve on that to secure her spot in the team. “It’s like I don’t have that feeling of I’m an Olympian,” said Van Zyl, who failed to finish at the 2012 and 2020 showpieces, and was unable to start in 2016.
“I went to three and now I have to go to a fourth one to fricking cross the finish line. That’s been haunting me.”
That’s why she fought hard to finish the marathon at the world championships in Budapest a few months back, even though she wasn’t at peak fitness and her timing chip, awkwardly laced to her shoe, painfully rubbed on a bone every time she turned a corner.
“My performance wasn’t great, but just to get to the start line and finish was a relief… [I had] so much fear going into the world champs.”
Van Zyl still has unfinished business, like winning the Two Oceans 56km, having finished second and third, but next weekend is about enjoying Soweto.
I think I’m the only person that really likes that race so much. The atmosphere is great. The most support I’ve got is in Soweto Irvette van Zyl Veteran runner