Van Zyl targets Soweto podium

ON HER second attempt running the Soweto Marathon, Irvette van Zyl hopes her legs will carry her over the finish instead of a taxi like on her debut five years ago.

Van Zyl will be looking for marathon redemption over the weekend after she was forced to withdraw from the classic distance at the eleventh hour at the Rio Olympic Games due to a foot injury.

Her return to the road had been a painful one having to undergo rehabilitation and treatment to her foot before she showed her class at the final SPAR Women’s Race in Johannesburg to win the series title.

The 29-year-old admitted making her marathon comeback shortly after recovering from injury was a bit of a gamble but felt buoyed by her return at the 10km challenge.

“I tried the Soweto Marathon in 2011 where I fell at the beginning of the race before finishing it in a taxi,” Van Zyl said.

“I am excited to run, we’ll see how I feel afterwards, I know it is a risk I am taking but I felt if I am pain free at the Spar race that I would race either the 10km or 21km at Soweto.”

Instead Van Zyl decided to race the 42-kilometre race despite the short amount of time she had to prepare. Van Zyl effectively only had a month to get in shape for the race through Soweto.

“I’ve trained really hard for Rio where I did a lot of kilometres, and it just feels like such a waste if I don’t run anything longer,” Van Zyl told The Star.

“I did a lot of cross-training and although the kilometres was not as much as before Rio, it was still effective kilometres where we worked well within the time frame.”

Van Zyl said she was positive about the work she had put in for the race and had every intention of chasing a podium finish.

The South African will go up against defending champion Harriet Jepchumba Chebore of Kenya, who won last year’s race in a time of 2:50:15.

The women’s race will also include the 2015 third-place finisher and Mandela Day Marathon winner Selam Abere Alebachew of Ethiopia.

“We will see what happens on Sunday, and of course you always line up for a race with the hope of winning, so I will not go out to lose but I will also be happy with a top-three finish,” Van Zyl said.

“I am looking at a 2:42 shape on that type of route which is quite hilly.”