Big milestone for Bay trio
AFTER five gruelling months of training and dedication to a rigid daily routine, Zululand Multi Sport Club (ZMSC) athletes Lilanie Schallies, Tania de Klerk and Paige Lotter completed a 42.2km run last Saturday.
The trio initially decided to complete their first marathon in 2019, to tick it off De Klerk's bucket list, but after Covid-19 kicked in, they had no option but to delay.
'This was my second marathon, but Tania and Paige's first, which proved physically and mentally challenging for all of us,' said Schallies.
'We started training together in November last year, and were quite emotional and proud to have achieved this goal that we all worked so hard towards.'
Schallies completed the 42.2km distance in 4.50.00, followed by De Klerk who clocked 4.56.00 and then Lotter who managed to sneak in under the five hour barrier, at 4.59.00.
'We started at ZMSC and completed a loop in Meerensee before heading out to Essenwood. We then made our way to Veldenvlei and then towards Alton before passing the University of Zululand Richards
Bay campus on our way back to the clubhouse.
'The last 12km was the most difficult for all of us, having to fight against the cramps and deal with the heat.
'But we were blessed with an amazing support crew and would like to thank Nikki Cox, Cherise Swift, Lynne van den Heuvel, Bev Lotter, Desiree Verwey and the rest of the support team who helped us through.
'We also want to send a special thank you to our husbands who have fully supported us, and put up with our moaning about our aches and pains after long training runs.'
The trio will now shift their focus to the virtual Comrades event, where they will all compete over various distances.
Thereafter, they will look to complete as many virtual events as possible throughout the year.