WHAT was set out as an opportunity to maintain momentum of elite running in 2021, saw eight 50km IAU World Record times being broken on Sunday, May 23.
Marine Drive in Nelson Mandela Bay proved to be a fast stretch of road as athletes took to the Nedbank Runified: Breaking Barriers 50km IAU world record attempt in the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality.
The men’s title, which has been held by Thompson Mangawana for more than 30 years, was broken by Ethiopian Ketema Negasa at 2:42:06.
South African Irvette van Zyl, who started the race as a pace runner, crossed the finish line at 3:04:23 to break the record and be the first South African woman to break the 50km IAU world record.
When asked about Van Zyl’s victory, race director and national manager of NRC, Nick Bester, said he knew what she was capable of and wasn’t surprised at her achievements.
“The conditions were great and I felt good. At 30km, I was meant to go off but I felt good. After Nick gave me the signal, I pushed through to the finish line. If you asked me a year ago today, I wouldn’t have said that I would be here today due to my knee surgery, but this is such a proud moment for me and I am grateful for this opportunity,” said Van Zyl, a three-time Soweto Marathon winner who recently qualified for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games Marathon.
In her debut ultramarathon, Kenyan long-distance runner, Lillian Chemweno, who was breathing down Van Zyl’s neck, held second place and crossed the finish line at 03:05:00, also breaking the previous world record time. Closing off the podium was Stelmach, giving the Nedbank running club a 1-2-3 finish.
“After months of planning and all the hard work, we came here today to break a record, and that’s exactly what we did,” said Bester.
“We have ticked every box to make sure that all procedures and rules have been adhered to in order for our race to be official and for IAU world records to stand.”
The success of the event has set a high benchmark of what the Nedbank Runified series stands for and what is to come. While world best performances are accepted at face value, the IAU world records are submitted to the rigorous ratification process, which includes certified course measurement, official timing, doping control and additional checks and standards.
While times are still provisional, eight runners broke the previous world record times.
