Bay athlete set to join dream team
Bay road running star Ntombesintu Mfunzi has cracked the nod for the 2019 Nedbank Green Dream team alongside athletes from around the world.
With the new year already under way, the Nedbank Running Club have named their women’s team, including runners from as far afield as the United States and Russia.
After a great showing in 2018 which saw the team take victories in prestige events such as the Two Oceans Marathon, Soweto Marathon, Mandela Marathon and numerous SPAR Ladies races, the team is coming into the new year with a fresh approach and looking to build on last year.
The team has been broken down into three categories – Comrades, Two Oceans and Marathon/sub-marathon.
Although an athlete appears once in the category, they are not limited to just that category.
A classic example of this is Gerda Steyn, who has won Two Oceans, finished second in the Comrades, finished on the podium in the SPAR Ladies 10km and ran the fastest time of the year for a marathon.
With four Two Oceans gold medals to her name and a best placing of fifth, Mfunzi moves up in distance as she takes on her first Comrades this year.
With a 76:29 half-marathon best, she has years of experience and speed and will be an interesting addition to this year’s race.
“I am thrilled to have made the team,” an elated Mfunzi said.
Mfunzi, who will be making a trip to compete in the Hanover Marathon in April, sponsored by the provincial government, had to give up her dream of a Two Oceans title to make her Comrades debut.
The Comrades Marathon Green Dream Team 2019 is spearheaded by Steyn.
After victory in last year’s Two Oceans Marathon, she finished second in the Comrades.
She then ran the fastest time by a South African athlete – an incredible 2:31 in the New York Marathon.
Other members of the Comrades team are Alexandra Morozova (Russia), South Africans Carla Molinaro, Fikile Mbuthuma, Deanne Horn and Cobie Smith.
The Two Oceans Marathon team will be spearheaded by Irvette van Zyl.
Having one of her best running years in 2018 after giving birth to her second son, Van Zyl ran a world-class 10km of 32:05 as well as an outstanding 2:33:00 in the tough Soweto Marathon.