UMHLANGA resident Lisa Collett put the ghosts of her past to rest at the recent Goss & Balfe Sapphire Coast Marathon (42.2km) where she was crowned the ladies’ division winner.

The DHS Old Boys Athletics Club member finished in a time of 03:22:32 at the marathon which also doubled as a qualifier for next year’s Comrades Marathon.

The 47-year-old spoke about her history with the race and also pointed out that in her running career spanning more than a decade, the 2019 Goss & Balfe marathon was the only time she did not finish or DNF as it’s referred to in the sport.

“The awesome thing is the Goss & Balfe was actually the first marathon I ever won when I started running competitively. That was many years ago, so there is a sense of history for me. It is also the first marathon that I did not finish. It’s the only DNF to my name, and I plan to leave it at that. I last ran it five years ago, and I collapsed just 200m from the finish line completely dehydrated. It was an absolute gift to have won it; I didn’t set out to do it, but winning really made me forget the ghosts of the past,” she said.

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Speaking on her race, Collett said runners were assisted with a tailwind in the last few kilometres of the race.

“We had a strong headwind for long periods of the marathon, but the last few kilometres, there was a tailwind which helped with some of the hills. I actually had a support bicycle rider with me the whole way, and he heard the whole story of me not finishing five years ago,” she said.

Her results now mean she has qualified for the Comrades Marathon.

“This was also the first marathon I’ve done since this year’s Comrades Marathon. I’ve technically qualified, but it doesn’t put me in the seeding I’d probably like to be in. There is always time to improve my seeding batch. I’ve now completed eight Comrades, and everyone has their own pattern to get to their coveted Green Number. Because I really enjoy the Down Runs, the plan is to complete my 10th in 2027, which would be the 100th anniversary of the Comrades,” she said.

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She also offered some advice for runners training for one of the world’s oldest and largest ultra-marathons.

“My advice for people who have entered Comrades is to use all the local events for training. You don’t have to go full tilt in every race. With so many amazing local runs on your doorstep, use them as your training grounds. I’m the biggest supporter of local events as the sacrifices made by the club are immense, from marshalling to manning water tables. It is a great way to support them and give back,” she said.

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