Van Zyl set for long-awaited debut at Tshwane 10K

The irony will not be lost on the discerning road running enthusiast that Irvette van Zyl will be running the Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K for the first time this weekend.

Van Zyl is a Pretorian through and through, and the assumption would be that she would participate in just about any major race taking place in her home city. This, after all, is an athlete who has shone brightest in races such as the SPAR Women’s 10km Challenge in the country’s capital year after year.

But the Hollywood Athletic Club athlete is only going to make her debut in the popular 10km race this Sunday, and her excitement abounds after injury forced her to sit out last year’s edition.

“I’m really excited to do this year’s Absa RUN YOUR CITY TSHWANE 10K because last year I tore my hamstring post-Olympics and I really wanted to do the race,” she says.

“I was entered but I had to make the call two days before not to run. But my husband LJ (Van Zyl) ran and he made me so jealous on the day because he had an amazing time on the roads. Being out there last year to see all the ladies run such good races motivated me.”

Van Zyl will run the race on the back of a solid showing at the SPAR Women’s Challenge in the city and should thus not be lacking in confidence. Not that the Olympic marathoner is ever short of self-belief for a race.

This, after all, is an athlete who has conquered arguably the toughest marathon in the country – the Soweto Marathon – on multiple occasions and has starred at the 56km Two Oceans Marathon. Earlier this year she made an impressive debut in the Comrades Marathon, where she finished in fourth place.

She has shaken off the standard aches and pains induced by the world-famous KwaZulu-Natal ultra, as shown by her running a 34:42 in the SPAR race at the beginning of the month.

“The body was lekker eina after Comrades,” Van Zyl says, her trademark giggle interrupting her sentence.

“It took four days to start walking normally again and then I only started running again after 10 days of full rest. The first two weeks back were slow and my body just felt so fragile. But after that every week went better and better.

"I have had a good four weeks of introducing speed again and every session has been going better. I’m very pleased with where I am right now mentally and physically.”

After her run in the SPAR race, the 38-year-old believes she can finish on the podium in a race renowned for its hilly nature. Van Zyl is a renowned climber.

“I’m really looking forward to being part of it this year and hopefully I can sneak in a top-three position.”

Van Zyl’s husband LJ, who won a bronze medal at the 2011 World Championships over 400m hurdles, will also run again as he tries to break the 40-minute barrier. Irvette says this is what makes the race so special for the Van Zyls – it takes place right in their backyard and ends up being a memorable outing for the entire family.

“Seeing that Tshwane is my hometown, I don’t even have to go anywhere. The race is on my front stoep.

"We’ll see if we take the kids with us because we did last year, but I wasn’t running whereas this year both LJ and I are running. It’s going to be a good day out, racing hard and soaking up the vibes. I’m really excited,” Van Zyl concluded.