Van Zyl has the experience to defend her title
irvette van zyl, johannesburg spar women's 10km challenge, irvette van berk, lj van zyl, london marathon
The race will take place at the Wanderers Club, Illovo on 13 October.
Van Zyl is a seasoned runner having competed in the marathon at the 2012 Summer Olympics and has twice participated in the London Marathon.
Her first major win came at the Zevenheuvelenloop at the age of 15 in the Netherlands and she has competed three times in the junior race at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships. In her senior international debut at the 2010 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, she came 49th overall. The 2011 season saw her emerge as an elite road runner. She dominated the 10km distance, repeating her South African title win, taking victories in Durban, Pretoria and Cape Town, and ending the year with a best of 32:50 for the distance.
Van ZYL raced extensively in the half marathon, with highlights being a best of 70:56 for eighth at the New York City Half Marathon and a runner-up finish at the Two Oceans Half Marathon.
She made her marathon debut at the 2012 London Marathon and finished 18th in a time of 2:33:41. This earned her a spot on the South African team for the 2012 Olympics in London. However, she failed to finish at the women’s Olympic marathon.
Van Zyl began 2013 with a four-win streak in South African half marathons. She placed 10th at the 2013 London Marathon, completing the distance in a time of 2:31:26.
