Ballito warrior Nicole von Metzinger powers to gold medal
She competed in the commando elite category, the second toughest on offer, finishing in 1:10.40, almost a full three minutes ahead of the next best woman.
Ballito’s Nicole von Metzinger beat out a top field of South African athletes to win her category at the brutal Warrior Race in Johannesburg at the weekend.
The event is designed to push competitors to their limits, taking them under, over and through a number of testing obstacles, all with running sections in between.
Muddy, tired, scraped and scratched – those who finish often end up looking like extras in a war film.
But for Von Metzinger, this has been a goal four years in the making, going from a self-admitted “normal” to being able to finish her first Comrades Marathon and winning the Warrior in just over a month.
“It has been a crazy few months for sure, but it is really satisfying to tick off two of my personal goals after working towards them for so long. Not being able to finish my first Warrior in 2018 was what spurred me on to improve my fitness, so this is an awesome way to come full circle,” she said.
She competed in the commando elite category, the second toughest on offer, finishing in 1:10.40, almost a full three minutes ahead of the next best woman.
“The course is mostly the same for everyone, with the distance and number of obstacles increasing depending on your category. If you race as an elite, it means you have to finish every obstacle without any help.”
The commando route includes 22 obstacles over a 10km course, so running ends up playing a crucial role, something which worked in Von Metzinger’s favour after her Comrades training.
She spent most of the race neck and neck with a fellow Adventure Obstacle Training partner, before taking over on the last obstacle.
“I saw her fall just in front of me and at that point in the race I definitely was not thinking about winning, I just did not want to do the obstacle twice!”
She now turns to training for the next Warrior in December where a graduation to the black ops category is possible, after which it is all systems go for a back-to-back Comrades medal next year.
For a full list of results, visit warrior.co.za.
Follow The North Coast Courier on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & YouTube for breaking news
Telegram Broadcast Service: https://t.me/joinchat/yJULuN8NaCs5OGM0
WhatsApp Broadcast Service: Add The Courier to WhatsApp at 082 792 9405 and WhatsApp your name and surname to be added.
Stay in the loop with The North Coast Courier on Facebook, X, Instagram & YouTube for the latest news.
Mobile users can join our WhatsApp Broadcast Service here, or if you’re on desktop, scan the QR code below.
