A novice Comrades Marathon entrant, Arouchelle Nieuwenhuis, is looking at leaving her footprint on this year\u2019s edition of the gruelling race. She will, on 9 June, join several debutants and seasoned men and women aspiring to conquer what has been dubbed the Ultimate Human Race.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nieuwenhuis got herself into strides for the endurance-demanding marathon by competing in the 42,2 km Lemo Mall Mangaung Marathon race staged on 4 May in Bloemfontein. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The marathon was a qualifier for runners with an interest to participate in this year\u2019s Comrades Marathon, which will be an upwards course from Durban to Pietermaritzburg. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nieuwenhuis won the Mangaung marathon\u2019s category for senior women with a finishing time of 03:03:28. More than 1 300 runners took part in the marathon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI\u2019m running my first Comrades this year, so my aim is just to enjoy and finish the race,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Bloemfontein-based runner will be among the several South African and international runners to test their abilities. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The average finishing time for senior women running the Comrades is 10:45, while the fastest finishing time is 06:20.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Nieuwenhuis\u2019 determination to make her mark on the upcoming race would be rewarded by crossing the finishing line in a respectable time, within seven hours, thus qualifying her for the Isavel Roche-Kelly medal cut-off time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Isavel Roche-Kelly medal was first introduced in 2019 for any female runner who finished outside the top ten, but under seven and a half hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Comrades Marathon Association\u2019s (CMA) Heritage and Traditions Committee recommended to the CMA board to have the Isavel Roche-Kelly medal cut-off at seven hours. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
This means that runners will now stand a greater chance of earning the coveted Comrades silver medal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Isavel Roche-Kelly is recognised for her indelible mark on the Ultimate Human Race. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Such was her contribution to the world\u2019s biggest and oldest ultra-marathon, that the only medal named after a woman is the one bearing her name. In the 1980 Comrades Marathon, the then 20-year-old Roche-Kelly participated in the first ultra-marathon. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Earlier that year, she had become the third woman in Africa to finish a marathon under three hours. Roche-Kelly reportedly had her beginning in the Free State, as a learner in a Welkom high school.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A novice Comrades Marathon entrant, Arouchelle Nieuwenhuis, is looking at leaving her footprint on this year\u2019s edition of the gruelling race. She will, on 9 June, join several debutants and seasoned men and women aspiring to conquer what has been 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