Athlete Irvette van Zyl described her participation at the Two Oceans Marathon as memorable and iconic after her disappointing performance in the Tokyo Olympics.
Runner Gerda Steyn beat Van Zyl by a few seconds but both women improved on Frith van der Merwe's record of 3:30:36, set three decades ago.
The 34-year-old, who had been training between four and five hours a day, completed the 56km marathon in Cape Town on Sunday, in only 3:30:31.
Steyn beat Van Zyl by a few seconds and came first, bagging her third successive women's Two Oceans Marathon title.
Van Zyl’s husband LJ told Weekend Argus: “She did well, I’m very proud of her. She feels so impressed, the content actually. She obliterated the marathon and has all the right to feel this way.”
“She described the marathon as ‘iconic’ and something to remember,” he said.
The mother-of-two would’ve represented South Africa last year at the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s marathon. But shocked fans when she took to Instagram to explain that she was unable to compete.
“ I am disappointed. My body failed me,” she posted at the time.
“My mind and heart was ready but my body had a complete shutdown, don’t know why or what happened. I failed and I failed miserably.
“I tried staying comfortable and in control, just couldn’t get my rhythm and I started cramping so bad at 19km and took a forced nap at around 23km and ended up in the medical tent.
“I am sore, my heart is broken and I have so many unanswered questions. To why? How much can one athlete endure. I am broken. I am leaving Sapporo with a heavy heart and in tears,” she wrote at the time.
“Thank you for all the support. Really appreciate each and every one,” she concluded.
In 2020, Van Zyl had chondroplasty with stem sells injected in her tibia and femur to grow new cartilages.