IN a remarkable demonstration of endurance and determination, Yellowwood Park Athletic Club’s David Lamont (52) returned to the track triumphantly after an astonishing 23-year hiatus, by participating in the Hillcrest Marathon on February 11.

Making an outstanding comeback to the sport, Lamont secured the third position in his age category, the Masters 50–59. The Hillcrest Marathon offered both seasoned and novice runners an exhilarating 21.1km course, with full marathon participants completing two laps totalling 42.2km.

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Despite the race commencing amid a light drizzle, 2 800 determined runners forged ahead, undeterred by the weather.

“The roads were wet at the start, and there were cool conditions with little to no wind, ideal for running. The Hillcrest Marathon route is an undulating course with the first half of the loop being predominantly downhill and the second half of the loop being predominantly uphill. I really enjoy this type of race – it’s definitely not a boring run and is very well supported by the locals,” said Lamont.

Impressively, Lamont conquered the course in three hours and 10 minutes, precisely hitting his target time.

“My strategy was to run two even halves for the race, so I went through to halfway on my target time and ran the second half at the same pace, so ended up running 3 hours, 10 minutes. [I’m] happy with the time and had a very comfortable run and felt strong during the second half,” said Lamont.

Lamont expressed curiosity about his body’s response to marathon running after such a lengthy hiatus. He placed 58th out of the 980 marathon finishers and secured a bronze medal as the marathon also doubled as the KZNA 2024 Provincial Marathon Championship.

What rendered Lamont’s achievements even more notable was the Hillcrest Marathon’s status as a qualifier for esteemed events like the Comrades Marathon and Two Oceans Marathon.

The Comrades Marathon stated, “The qualifying criteria for this year’s Comrades Marathon require completion of a standard, officially timed 42.2km marathon in under 4 hours and 50 minutes, or a 56km ultra-marathon in under 6 hours and 45 minutes.”

By clinching the bronze medal, Lamont not only showcased his prowess but also secured a coveted spot in the upcoming Comrades Marathon. Lamont was among four full marathon runners representing the Yellowwood Park Athletic Club.

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