It is no surprise that Charné Bosman and Irvette van Zyl raked in the prizes at the Nedbank Running Club Gauteng North year-end function.
Bosman’s debut victory in the Comrades women’s race led to her receiving the award for the best performance by a female athlete in the legendary race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Because she finished fourth in the Two Oceans ultra-race as well, she also received accolades as the club’s best female ultra-athlete and the best female veteran athlete.
Bosman’s success proves that patience is a virtue. Her Comrades journey was a five-year roller coaster ride during which she had to learn to deal with setbacks and triumphs.
Her Comrades victory was like a fairy tale come true. From a medical perspective nobody would have given her a chance of winning the Comrades after she broke the little toe of her right foot a month before the race. However, being the fighter she is, Bosman refused to accept defeat and the rest is history.
'It's amazing to win at long last. It's a dream come true. I am very happy, but all credit to God who gave me the talent to run,' said Bosman.
Van Zyl received awards for best performance by a female athlete in a marathon after running a time of 2:32:20 in the London Marathon, as well as for her performances in races between 21 km and 10 km.
Van Zyl had to overcome a major disappointment when she had to withdraw from running in the Olympic women’s marathon in Rio because of a stress fracture in her left foot after a near perfect buildup to the race. She compensated for this by winning the SPAR Grand Prix series.
She compares her season to a game of snakes and ladders. Just when she thought she had reached the top, she was swallowed by a snake and spat out almost rock bottom.
'It feels as if I have to prove myself again and again, and I am not sure what my body is capable of at the moment. The fact that I was able to outrun my main rivals throughout the season counts for nothing, because you are only as good as the last time you have raced,' she said just before the final race in the SPAR series.
But, in the style of a true champion, she refused to give in to negative thoughts and went on to winning the Johannesburg 10 km race.
In doing so she became the first athlete since 2012 to duplicate René Kalmer’s feat of winning four of the five SPAR Women’s races. Van Zyl was also victorious in Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Durban. Unfortunately she could not race in Pretoria because of an injury.
Actually Van Zyl totally dominated women's racing in races between 10 km and 21 km. The only time she was beaten this season was at the South African 21 km Championships in Port Elizabeth when she finished second, merely two seconds behind Kenya's Sheila Chesang.
Complete Nedbank Running Club Gauteng North trophy list 2016
Best sub-marathon female athlete – Irvette van Zyl
10 km 33:02/Half marathon 1:11:00
Best sub-marathon male athlete – Kgosi Tsosane
10 km 29:54/Half marathon 1:05:57
Best marathon female athlete – Irvette van Zyl
London Marathon (Great Britain) 2:32:20
Best marathon male athlete – Africa Mailola
Dublin (Ireland) 2:19:30
Best veteran athlete men – Claude Moshiywa
Comrades sixth place 5:36:25
Best veteran athlete female – Charné Bosman
Two Oceans fourth place 3:48:41
Comrades winner 6:25:55
Best master athlete male – Dawie de Villiers
10 km 37:48
Best master athlete female – Ansa Strydom
10 km 45:57/Half marathon 1:37:57
Best grand master athlete female – Frances van Blerk
Best grand master athlete female – Don Charles
Best ultra-marathon male athlete – Mike Fokoroni
Two Oceans winner 3:13:33
Best ultra-marathon female athlete – Charné Bosman
Two Oceans fourth place 3:48:41
Best Comrades male athlete – Ludwick Mamabolo
Comrades second place 5:24:05
Best Comrades female athlete – Charné Bosman
Comrades winner 6:25:55
Best improved athlete – Kamogelo Molapo
Athletics Gauteng North Cross Country Championships top 3
Most motivated athlete – Jabu Ngwenya
Athletics Gauteng North Championships Track and Field top 3 and South African Championships Track and Field top 8, 1 200 m
Best junior male athlete – Lesetja Bopape
Athletics Gauteng North Championships 10 km Championships top 10 and won Juniors at 10 km Athletics Gauteng North Road Races
Best junior female athlete – Busisiwe Skosana
Athletics Gauteng North Championships Track and Field top 2 and South African Championships Track and Field top 4, 1 200 m