Frith returns for Comrades 2005
7 April 2005
The Comrades Marathon has received a boost with the announcement that three-time winner Frith van der Merwe will be running the world-famous ultra-marathon from Pietermaritzburg to Durban on 16 June.
Although the 41-year-old Van der Merwe says she's setting her sights on the veteran's title, fans will be hoping she can give Russian twins Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva, who have dominated South African ultras for the past few years, a run for their money.
Comrades Marathon Association acting CEO Cheryl Winn reckons there's every chance this could happen.
"If Frith is going to be competitive, as she says she is going to be, then stand by for a duel of a lifetime in this year's Comrades between the Russian twins, Elena and Olesya Nurgalieva ... as well as Farwa Mentoor, who gave them a race for their money last year", Winn said.
A short piece of long-distance history
When Van der Merwe ran a Comrades time of
6:32:56 in 1988, it was considered a fine performance. It was to prove, however, only a pale imitation of the fireworks to come in the down-run (Pietermaritzburg to Durban) in 1989.
In that year Van der Merwe ran an incredible 5:54:43 to totally obliterate the women's record, also finishing fifteenth overall. Only once since has an athlete come within four minutes of that time.
In the same year, Van der Merwe cut a huge 13 minutes and 53 seconds off the previous record for the 56-kilometre Two Oceans Marathon, during the course of which she established world records for the distances of 30 miles and 50 kilometres.
The last time Van der Merwe ran the Comrades, in 2000, she finished just outside the top 10 gold medal finishers in 7:07:26. This time around, she says she's aiming for a top 10 finish - and the veterans' title.
'It will be a great duel'
"With Germany's Maria Bak out of the way, I believe I have a great chance of
winning the veterans' title", Van der Merwe said. "However, I will have to contend with Grace De Oliviera this time around. It will be a great duel.
"I'm in the best of health, but not any faster or fitter than I was when I won the Comrades, when I ran flat out. However, I'll be very competitive this time around as well, but there's no pressure on me to win the race."
Van der Merwe is currently trying to bring her standard marathon time down to a respectable one. She recently ran the Bedfordview Marathon in 3:10, followed by the Standerton Marathon in 3:05.
'Trying to break the three-hour barrier'
"I'm trying to break the three-hour barrier", she said. "It's a battle at the moment because I have not been competitive for a few years. It will take some time, but it'll not worry me if I don't.
"I have a niggling hamstring problem and will not push myself to get my marathon times lower. I'll do as little as possible - training wise -
between now and June 16, as I want to run the 80th anniversary race."
Van der Merwe says she aims to have run 10 Comrades by the time she turns 45. This year will be her sixth Comrades.
Frith van der Merwe's Comrades record:
- 1987: 7:22:19 (Silver - 28th)
- 1988: 6:32:56 (Gold - 1st)
- 1989: 5:54:43 (Gold - 1st)
- 1991: 6:08:19 (Gold - 1st)
- 2000: 7:07:26 (Silver - 11th)
SouthAfrica.info reporter
| 
