Du Plessis overcomes mental breakdown and injury to finish Comrades
She finished her back-to-back Comrades in 08:27:46.
Despite a challenging lead-up, Jolinda du Plessis was overjoyed crossing the finish line as the Benoni Northerns Athletic Club’s (BNAC) first lady at the 98th Comrades Marathon on June 8.
Du Plessis had aimed for a sub-9:30 finish but completed the 89.98km down run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban in an incredible 8:27:46, earning a Bill Rowan medal in her second consecutive race.
“I didn’t set out to be BNAC’s first lady, but crossing that line was very emotional for me,” she said.
Her preparation was far from smooth. Plagued by “bad runner’s knees,” she was told she might never run comfortably again. Determined, she sought help from physiotherapists, biokineticists, and chiropractors, and finally found relief with new running shoes just two weeks before race day.
“I decided to run through the pain for my late mother,” said Du Plessis. “The pain disappeared, and my mental state improved. For the first time in months, I ran without pain.”
On race day, with over 1 000km of training behind her, Du Plessis felt a surge of energy after Polly Shortts and looked forward to Fields Hill. But just before Botha’s Hill, she faced a mental breakdown after missing her second energy bag.
“I wanted to quit. But I told myself I didn’t train for months to quit mid-race. I walked and ran to the top of Botha’s Hill – then it was downhill from there.”
Her mental toughness and the cheering crowd carried her through. Crossing Durban’s People’s Park finish line, she said, “I didn’t know whether to cry or scream. I was proud. The support was incredible. And now I’m the first lady. It felt amazing.”
With a Robert Mtshali medal from last year’s up run and this year’s Bill Rowan medal, Du Plessis aims to beat her up run time of 9:43 in next year’s 99th edition.
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