CAPE TOWN – South African distance runner, Thalia Charalambous, won the Nicosia Half Marathon at the Cypriot capital over the weekend, taking the national title.
The Port Elizabeth biokineticist’s grandparents were born in Cyprus, giving citizenship to Charalambous and the chance to compete at higher level in distance running.
Just fifteen months after a vascular operation to her leg, Charalambous raced through to victory over a challenging course to win in 1 hr 17 min 21 sec, finishing 7th overall.
“The first half was flat and the second more of an incline with several turn arounds,” explained Charalambous. “So you had to regain your pace after the turns, which was challenging.
“I’m staying in Cyprus for three months and plan to race in the 10 000m national championships in April. If all goes well, God willing, I should be able to run a 1:15 half marathon in the second half of the year.”
IOL Sport