Bosman aims for top-five spot in Two Oceans ‘training run’

ALTHOUGH Charne Bosman admits that a Two Oceans/ Comrades Marathon double is doable this year, the Nedbank Running Club elite runner won’t be going all out to emulate rival Caroline Wostmann.

Given her current form and pedigree, Bosman will be among the favourites to win next weekend’s Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon in Cape Town.

But the Pretoria runner, who has already captured the Johnson Crane Marathon as well as the Tuks Bestmed Marathons this year, won’t be going full force in the Mother City next Saturday.

“I’ll be happy if I can get a top five finish at Oceans,” Bosman said this week at the Nedbank headquarters where the banking giants held a farewell function for their athletes going to “the world’s most beautiful race”.

“My focus is on defending my down run title at Comrades,” the 2016 winner of the famous KwaZulu/Natal ultra marathon said “Of course Caroline showed us that it is possible to do the Two Oceans and Comrades double. And this year it is really possible because there is a lot of time between the two races which will be enough for us to recover.”

Resplendent in the club’s new kit for the race, Bosman would have passed for a kid in a sweet shop as she spoke of her excitement at how things are going for her.

“It’s been a good year so far. Tuks (Marathon) was difficult with lots of uphills but I still managed to run a 2:50 and win. I am looking forward to next Saturday and I will be happy if I did around 3h48 at Two Oceans.”

She believes though that such a time won’t be good enough to win the title.

“The winning time could be at around 3:37 but you never know.

“For me, I’m going there just to run my race. I never try to chase anyone, I will simply run my own race.”

According to Bosman, the ladies field is top class.

“I think it is the strongest we’ve ever had and I believe Gerda Steyn has a great chance (to win).”

With the likes of Comrades gold medalist Fikile Mbuthuma, her Nedbank Club teammate, also in the mix, the race is likely to be hotly-contested.

For Bosman though, next weekend will be nothing more than a step towards her keeping her Down Run title.

Given her current form though, count her out for the title at your own peril. After all, with her views that the Two Oceans and Comrades double is doable, why should she not capitalise?