Van Jaarsveld wows again at Kwikscaff marathon
The Farrarmere resident won the women's 21.1km in 01:26:57, successfully defending her title.
Samuel Matsepe and veteran runner Yolande Maclean were the big winners at the Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) Marathon sponsored by Kwikscaff on March 5 after winning the men’s and women’s marathons respectively.
Local lass Kate van Jaarsveld pulled off another masterclass after successfully defending her women’s 21.1km title.
In her iconic sprint finish, the Farrarmere resident cut the ribbon in 01:26:57 to add another milestone to her career.
Although a much slower performance from her previous time, the Murray and Roberts runner had every reason to be proud, especially because seven days earlier she was on the podium in the half-marathon at the Edenvale Marathon.
“It wasn’t as fast as I would have liked. Last week I ran in the Edenvale Marathon where I put all my effort into it.
“I’m happy with the win. There were lots of nice downhills. Ebotse is always a killer coming back up the hill. Other than that, the marshalls were fabulous. The route was really good and the event is always well-organised,” she said.
Van Jaarsveld explained that when the gun went off at the start, she felt no pressure to defend her title as she hadn’t set herself any targets.
“I just went out to have a fun run. I didn’t have a time in mind. It didn’t feel like I was going to defend my title but I’m glad I won anyway. I will be back next year.”
She said her career is headed in the right trajectory and that it’s important to keep achieving good results to boost her confidence for when she decides to switch to longer distances.
The Benonian pointed out that her success is a result of dedication and having a strong mindset.
She advised athletes to train every day of the week, probably running eight to 12km a day.
“You have to have a strong mindset to be able to go out in the cold, heat, wind or rain and just keep going.”
Holly Thomas from K-Way Jeppe finished behind Van Jaarsveld in 01:29:49 while Pamela Gwebu from Daveyton Hearts completed the podium.
Sanki Coangwe won the men’s half-marathon, storming to the finish in 01:17:51 for first place. Douglas Machill claimed second place while Sipho Lukhele rounded off the top three.
Despite a knee injury that hampered his preparation and no speed sessions in the build-up to the race, Impala Plats’ Matsepe was elated to clinch first place in the men’s 42.2km after crossing the line in 02:30:03.
“I didn’t expect to perform the way I did. The race was very difficult. But I’m happy because I didn’t do any speed work so this proves if I had incorporated that in my training, I could’ve achieved a quicker time,” he said.
The Kroonstad athlete said the win has boosted his confidence going into the Two Oceans Marathon and Comrades Marathon.
Thulane Magagula grabbed second place while Stephan Koch finished in third place.
Maclean cut the ribbon in a time of 03:05:20 to win the women’s 42.2km.
“My performance was not 100%. I didn’t get where I wanted. My legs were a bit tired but I’m happy with my finish and just slogging the mileage,” she said.
Although happy with the win, the 44-year-old explained that in the build-up to the Comrades, training, planning and weekly and monthly mileages are more important than pushing for wins in every event you participate in.
“It’s a bonus if you get to win. We also have to run at a certain pace. The Comrades is quite fast for 90km so we have to get used to that kind of pace and that’s why this race is important for mileage.”
Leanne Mackay finished in second place while Susan Sloan completed the top three.
Also Read: Benoni Northerns Athletic Club (BNAC) marathon recap
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