Nobody, but nobody, expected the 39 year old to win. There is a good reason for it. For the past four years Leballo has been hampered by serious knee-injuries. That led to her sort of disappearing from the local road running scene. It was a case of now and again you would see her race but her results were nothing to get excited about.

Many an athlete would have contemplated just to quit and get on with life but that was never an option for Leballo as running is her passion.

“It was really my faith that kept me going when I was really down and out as an athlete. Another reason why I never contemplate to quit was because I still had some unfinished business on the road.”

In spite of her grit and determination Leballo is the first to admit that she never expected to win the SPAR-race.
“Shock and a surprise,” is how she described her feelings after crossing the finish line on Sunday.

Leballo said she had no plans to race 10km races. Her goal was to be competitive at the Two Oceans ultra-race but everything changed when got selected to represent South Africa at the World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda.

“My coach, Michael Seme, and I had to totally change our plans. It was decided that I am going to focus more on speed work rather than endurance so as to be properly prepared for the World Championships.”

Cross country racing is something close to her heart and with good reason. Many years ago, 1993 to be precise, she represented South Africa at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Spain. She was finished 32nd overall in the 4km race. It was the best performance by a South African athlete. At this year’s Cross Country World Championships she was again the best placed South African female athlete.

Leballo’s next big goal is to get a good result in the Two Oceans 21km. Another goal, maybe more a long term, is to improve on her best marathon time of 2:46:50 which she ran during the 2007 Cape Town Marathon. According to her it is way too slow.

***The Nedbank Running Club athletes gave a good account of themselves at the SPAR 10km Challenge with eight athletes finishing in the top 20.

The top 20 athletes were: 1. Louisa Leballo (Ned AGN) 32:55 PB; 3. Irvette van Zyl (Ned AGN) 33:04; 8. Rhudo Monderwa (ZIM/Ned AGN)) 34:17; 9. Rutendo Nyahora (ZIM/Ned AGN) 34:21; 13. Loveness Madziva (ZIM/Ned CGA) 35:15; 14. Patience Murowe (ZIM/Ned CGA) 35:26 ; 19. Onneile Dintwe (BOT/Ned AGN); 20. Bulelwa Simae (Ned) 36:48.