Ma
Feature
Danette ’ s
Unique Treble
I n April this year Stellenbosch-based school teacher Danette Smith travelled to Durban to participate in the SA Marathon Champs , and having taken the lead around the 30km mark , she powered her way home to claim the women ’ s title in 2:54:59 . Then in June she finished eighth woman in her debut Comrades Marathon , to become just the ninth women to win the SA Marathon Championship as well as a Comrades gold medal . That saw her join a starstudded list that features Charne Bosman , Colleen de Reuck , Frith van der Merwe , Grace de Oliveira , Rianna van Niekerk , Lindsay van Aswegen , Helene Joubert and Beverley Malan ( who was fourth in the 1987 Comrades and earned a bronze medal , but would earn a gold medal by modern standards ).
However , Danette has another SA title to her name , which gives her an unprecedented ‘ Treble ’ that no other South African female athlete has achieved .
Winning a national title on the road is a fantastic achievement for an athlete . Winning a national title on trail is just as fantastic . Then you get the ultramarathons , and earning a gold medal in the Comrades is considered a pinnacle achievement in South African running . Doing all three ? Until Danette Smith came along , it had never been done .
– BY SEAN FALCONER
In 2014 she won the SA Long Distance Trail Championship title , meaning she is the only woman to win both these SA titles as well as a Comrades gold . In fact , she is the only woman to win both a road running and trail running SA title along with a Comrades gold . But as is her way , the 29-year-old runner who is sponsored by KPMG , Brooks , TomTom and Superbar , sheepishly grins and tries to talk down her achievements when this is mentioned .
Unexpected Win
“ To be honest , it wasn ’ t my goal to win the SA Marathon Title , and Durban came as a big surprise , given that Comrades gold was the plan . I consider it a massive gift given to me in an already incredible year ,” says Danette . And incredible about sums it up : She was second in the Bay to Bay 30km , won the Red Hill Classic 36km , ran a PB 1:21 at the Western Province Half Marathon Champs , was second in the
Cango Marthon with a PB 2:49 , was second in the mixed pairs category at AfricanX with JC Visser , ran a 10km PB of 37:24 in the Spar Women ’ s Race in Cape Town , then won the SA Marathon title – even though her coach , Ernie Gruhn , had told her not to race too hard in Durban .
“ My main reason for wanting to run the Champs was to check out running in Durban and better prepare myself for Comrades , plus I needed another long run anyway , as I wasn ’ t running the Two Oceans this year , but Ernie told me I was not to go faster than 2:55 pace , to save my legs for Comrades . However , I was so honoured to be selected by Western Province and still wanted to do my best ... but I never went there with the intention to race it as hard as possible . In fact , I thought I would be lucky to make the top 10 !”
“ The Champs race was two laps of 21km , but I didn ’ t listen to the announcers properly and didn ’ t know this . After the start I had no idea where I was in the race , until a spectator told me around the 15km mark that I was fourth lady . Then when we ran past the stadium at the end of the first lap , I realised we had 21km runners with us , because they turned off . Just after that the Western province team manager told me I was in second place . The route also had a long stretch on the Durban Promenade , and my KPMG clubmate Jenna Challenor was doing a long training run at the same time . When I passed her , she told me the leader was just a few hundred metres ahead of me , so I put in a surge , caught her at 28km , then took the lead . Ernie had told me not to run too fast , but being in the lead sparked the adrenaline . Suddenly I found myself wondering what to do when I reach the finish , how to act or celebrate ! Winning was just so completely unexpected .”
Images : Chris Walley & Jetline Action Photo
12 ISSUE 98 SEPTEMBER 2017 / www . modernathlete . co . za