Giving a literal meaning to the adage ‘putting in the hard yards’ Richards Bay endurance athlete Marsha Muller is prepping for her latest feat.
Having broken the South African and African ladies’ 48-hour record at the 48-hour World Champs in 2022 and 2023, Marsha has her sights set on setting yet another world record at this year’s event.
In 2022, she ran 267.5km in 48 hours, while in 2023 she racked up 272.8km.
A delayed visa forced Marsha to pull out of last year’s event, but at this year’s UltraPark 48-hour World Champs from 30 May to 1 June in Poland, she plans on breaching the 300km mark.
But she still needs help to get there, and is short of just R2 000. To help her, funds can be deposited into her World Champs bank account: Capitec Bank, acc no: 1285612130, branch code: 470010.
The only competitor representing the African continent, the ZO recently sat down with Marsha for a Q and A session.
Q: Paint a picture of a typical 7-day training regime in the month leading up to the 48-hr World Champs
A: I’m peaking in high mileage, so in this month, 600km is my training distance. So in these two high mileage weeks, we break down 80/90km over a weekend and then the rest during the week.
Q: Why ultra-long distance?
A: Why not?! No seriously, I love the place your mind goes while your body breaks. It’s like rebuilding a new you every time you run an endurance race
Q: How many 100-milers have you done, both for training and official events?
A: This I need to go count! I think about 12 races
Q: At what point do you know for sure you’ve done enough training for an event like the 48-hr World Champs or the Washie?
A: This is not always a given and we won’t ever be 100% sure, you just have to trust the effort you’ve put in and hope your body holds together on race day
Q: At what age do you think you might call it quits on long-distance running, or do you just plan to see how you go?
A: Hopefully I can grow old with long-distance running
Q: Who is your biggest supporter?
A: Without a doubt, my husband and family
Q: Given that you only started running in your 30s, do you think your children will ever follow in your footsteps?
A: Giggle, I hope so!
Q: Do you always feel motivated to get up early in the mornings and train?
A: No, some days are tough but I stay true to my dreams and show up either way. It’s character building
Q: Apart from running, does any other exercise form part of your training?
A: I swim for recovery
Q: In your opinion, what’s the craziest running distance/event you’ve done this far?
A: I definitely think running on the treadmill for 48 hours in support and awareness of Project Feral Cat
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