Totalsports Women’s Race paints Emmarentia pink
The Joburg leg of the race saw Irvette van Zyl take gold for the sixth time.
The streets of Emmarentia resembled a sea of pink on Women’s Day as runners and walkers came out in their masses to participate in the iconic Totalsports Women’s Race.
The race, which started and ended at Marks Park Sports Club, is described as South Africa’s largest Women’s Day celebration and saw Irvette van Zyl take to the finish line first in the Joburg race. This was the sixth win Van Zyl claimed, doing so in a time of 00:34:58.
“I loved this race last year, so I had to come back and just try to be the best that I could be,” said Van Zyl. She said that coming into the race she wanted to be tactical, take it easy on the downhills as measure to ensure she could be okay on the uphills. “We stayed together until about the 5km mark, and then the break happened. I knew that the second half of the route was quite difficult and that if I could just maintain until then I could push through until the end.”
Though she had a rough start to the year due to her injury, Van Zyl was ultimately chuffed with the race, “So being here today, being healthy and fit and able to enjoy running again is awesome. I’m happy to come away with the win. I really enjoyed the event. The atmosphere was great as always. It’s awesome to be here on Women’s Day, celebrating women together.”
Jonathan Stein, head of Totalsports said they had a had a fantastic time celebrating National Women’s Day with a sea of enthusiastic runners and walkers, all dressed in pink, as a symbol of unity. “Each city boasted an electrifying energy and incredible vibe. A heartfelt congratulations goes out to Irvette Van Zyl and Cacisile Sosibo for their outstanding achievements, claiming gold in the Totalsports Women’s Race 10km in Johannesburg, and Durban, respectively. Watching your incredible performances was truly awe-inspiring.”
Stein added a word of appreciation to each and every participant and spectator who joined in on the day, as it’s their unwavering support that made this event possible. “A special shout-out goes to our incredible event charity: PinkDrive. Your dedication to making a difference and assisting those in need is truly remarkable. We are proud to know that together, we are able to make a meaningful impact on the lives of many.”
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Pink was the colour of the day on the Totalsports Women’s Race in Joburg
