Marsha reaches her milestone
RICHARDS Bay’s Marsha Muller reached a personal milestone when she completed the 2018 Washie 100 Miler event on 27 July - a feat few athletes achieve.
The ultra-marathon runner made her debut in the event in East London.
What made her achievement even more memorable was the fact that she finished fourth in the women’s race and was the first female novice runner home in a time of 20 hours and 15 minutes.
‘This year was slightly different and somewhat spectacular as we were not only blessed with a full moon on our journey, but were also the first group running the new temporary route as the old one will be under construction for the next two to three years. To top this we experienced the blood moon, which is rare and made the run one of the most magical I have ever experienced.’
Muller has completed many marathons and ultra-marathons, with her best marathon time being a sub four-hour run.
She took on her second
Comrades Marathon this year as a training run for the Washie.
‘I followed a strict training schedule over the last few months and obviously had to train smartly, as the kilometres I had to clock were always going to be tough.
‘While most people were sleeping, working or cooking meals, I was out with my supportive husband and seconding team rocking the early mornings, day time, late night and midnight runs.
‘This kind of race is very much dependant on an excellent seconding team and sponsors, and I was blessed with the absolute best out there.’
But the modest endurance runner didn’t stop there, she organised a drive called ‘100 miles for 100 little feet’, and together with Meals On Wheels raised funds for school shoes, socks and sweet hampers for Floradale Primary School learners.
Asked whether she’ll tackle the Washie again next year, the answer was ‘most definitely!’