South African elite road runner, Irvette van Zyl claimed her third consecutive Old Mutual Soweto Marathon title on Sunday, 3 November 2019, as she dominated the designated route.
The 32-year-old runner completed the 42.2km race in a time of 2:34:01 but was unfortunate to beat her 2:33:43 record that she had made last year. However, the fact that van Zyl retained her crown is more than enough satisfaction, especially returning to the competitive action after having undergone the knife.
A Woman Filled with Strength
Three months ago, van Zyl had to undergo a surgery to fix a recurring pain in her left leg, which had been caused by a previous injury and had been running for seven years through the discomfort. And, to top it all off, just before having the surgery done, she had given birth to her second child last year.
Her determination to get back on track has been evident and once again her hard work has begun to show.
Meanwhile, Ethiopia’s Selam Abere Alebachew finished second (2:45:54), improving on her third spot finish last year. Her countrywoman Gadise Getachew Bekele finished a distant third in 2:48:19.
Photo 1 Caption: South African road runner, Irvette van Zyl, standing on the podium after retaining her Old Mutual Soweto Marathon for the third time on Sunday, 3 November 2019. Photo: @SowetoMarathon on Twitter
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