Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) elite runners Kailtyn Bubb and Alison de Bruin made light work of the TracN4 Elands Marathon route on March 1 with outstanding performances in the women’s half-marathon and marathon.
Bubb clocked a podium on the women’s 21.1km while De Bruin set a new marathon PB after finishing in the women’s 42.2km in the top 15.
In near-perfect conditions, Bubb finished her race second in 01:23:29, behind winner Busisiwe Chamane (01:21:26), for her third podium of the year after her second place at Johnson Crane in January and another runner-up spot at the Balwin Sport Jeppe Marathon women’s 10km last month.
“I am proud of my performance. It is rewarding to see the hard work pay off on race day,” she said.
After a hard slog, Bubb fought her way up the order in the last 3km of the race, which was the race’s most challenging part and required her to dig deep.
“It was a gradual build-up to close the gap. As much as the idea of a podium finish was enticing, I never approached the race with the goal of a podium, but rather to achieve the time I set out for myself.
“Clocking 01:23:29 is a huge confidence booster. It has fuelled my motivation to work harder towards the Two Oceans half marathon on April 6 where I plan to give it my all and leave everything on the road,” said Bubb.
Milestones for De Bruin
Aiming for a sub-03:00 finish, De Bruin tackled the relatively downhill 42.2km distance, which started at 1 459m above sea level and ended at an altitude of 941m, with ease to finish 12th in a PB 03:04:38.
The Rynfield Primary School teacher’s improvement in the distance continued when she chopped a massive 19:50 off her previous mark of 03:24:28 achieved at last year’s race when she finished 30th.
She also set a new marathon personal record when she shaved a sizeable 03:19 off her previous PB of 03:07:57 she clocked at Johnson Crane Marathon where she finished third.
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Although she did not finish the race under 03:00 as she had set out at the start, De Bruin was satisfied with her overall performance, especially after setting a new marathon milestone.
“I took over 03:00 off my Johnson Crane time, improving on last year’s Elands Marathon by almost 20:00. I received a lot of support from my family and fellow BNAC friends,” she said.
She said she would stick to the same formula when asked what she would do differently going into her next big races, the Totalsports Two Oceans Ultra on April 5 and the Comrades Marathon on June 8.
“I would not do anything differently, as I have recovered well and am ready to tackle my next challenge. I am now focusing on further training and preparation for the Two Oceans Ultra in Cape Town and the Comrades Marathon.”
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