Irvette Van Zyl set for Comrades Marathon debut

Van Zyl, a four-time Soweto Marathon champion and three-time Spar Ladies 10km Grand Prix series winner, is set to make her debut in the 89km down-run from Pietermaritzburg to Durban. 

Seidler says the 37-year-old is channeling her energy into rigorous preparations for the big day.

"I'm giving you a bit of an exclusive here, that Irvette will be making her debut at the Comrades, and we've discussed this and said, 'Look, there are no expectations,'" Seidler told SABC Sport.

"Her big focus will be Two Oceans, and if she goes and has a smashing debut at Comrades, fantastic; if she doesn't, it's not a train smash, we'll see how she goes."

Transitioning from a standard marathon to an ultra-marathon is no small feat, but Seidler, an experienced athletics official, is confident van Zyl is well-prepared.

"Irvette's been around a long time – without giving away her age, the first time I met and interviewed her was in 2002 as a 14-year-old when she just won the SA 1 500m title," he added.

"So she's progressed from track and field and cross country to the road, and obviously the distances in the road, and she was runner-up at Two Oceans twice, she's a former World Record holder in the women's 50km, so she has stepped up beyond the marathon.

"And yes, Comrades is another beast, it's over double a standard marathon and it's obviously quite substantially further than Two Oceans, but she wants to run Comrades and that's why the thinking is, great, give it a bash."

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