Four-time Soweto Marathon Champion Heads To Spain

Irvette van Zyl, the four-time Soweto Marathon champion, sets her sights on Valencia, Spain, this weekend to participate in the Valencia Marathon, on Sunday, 03 December 2023. Familiar with the Valencia terrain, she previously showcased an impressive performance in last year’s race, clocking in at 2:26:11, a time that gave her Olympic qualification for 2024 and now returns to Valencia with hopes of improving her time and competing with the world’s best.

Having experienced a remarkable comeback to the road this year after overcoming an injury that sidelined her from running for more than 6 months Van Zyl made a triumphant return to the road with an international appearance at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, Hungry, showing that despite the layoff she can still compete with the worlds best.

She showcased her prowess in long-distance running at the African Bank Soweto Marathon, where she holds the course record and secured her fourth win with a stellar time of 2:34:16, just missing the course record by 33 seconds. During a press conference in Nasrec, Johannesburg recently, Van Zyl expressed her joy at being back on the road and performing well. With Soweto conquered, she now shifts her focus to the upcoming Valencia Marathon, aiming to achieve another Olympic qualifying time.

Joining her in this international endeavor is fellow South African Gerda Steyn, who has also enjoyed a fantastic season on the road this year. This sets the stage for a captivating showdown between the two top-performing female long-distance runners from South Africa on the global stage.