Modern Athlete Magazine Issue 98, September 2017 | Page 13

Taking on
Comrades
A few months later, and with her target
splits written on her arm, Danette
lined up for what she describes as an
emotional Comrades start. “I just wanted
to enjoy the experience of all the sites
and sounds, and it was amazing to have
my parents and my boyfriend there to
support me along the way. I stuck to my
plan as much as I could and I was lying
seventh for a long time, until halfway, but
then I felt an old injury flare up a bit and
was passed by two girls. Now I was really
feeling the pressure, because I was almost out
of the gold medals!”
“I was being seconded by KPMG’s Pierre Jacobs
and KPMG clubmate Colleen De Reuck’s husband,
Darren, so I was getting feedback as well as
nutritional support. Round about the 75km mark,
I passed Stefanie Smith, who was cramping, and
then Pierre and Darren told me I was safe, that I
could just enjoy the rest of the way. I still had Polly
Shortts to climb, and Ernie had told me I can walk
four times during the race – he even gave me the
exact number of steps I may walk – and because
I had only walked once up to that point, I used all
three remaining walks on Polly’s. Running into the
stadium was just amazing, and I had to laugh when
a guy said he was going to stay with me because
he wanted to be on TV. Getting that rose was so
special, because I had told friends I had actually
imagined it so many times. Just an amazing day!”
Unsurprisingly, given the national prominence of the
Comrades Marathon, Danette says she has gotten
the most reaction from friends, family, colleagues and
pupils due to her Comrades gold, and much more so
than her two SA titles. “People only really focus on the
Comrades result. The trail title happened and passed,
the marathon title happened and passed, and people
only tend to talk about the Comrades gold, but it is
still wonderful that so many people care. The reaction
I tend to get is emotional from people who have
known me for many years, because they say they
feel they have followed my journey and shared in my
success.”
Trail versus Tar
Danette winning the 2017 SA
Marathon Champs title in Durban
Danette’s running has taken a few interesting turns
over the last four years. In 2014 she turned to trail
running to get stronger in order to benefit her road
running, but when she won the SA trail title and
qualified to represent SA at the World Long Distance
Trail Champs in the USA, she understandably put
more focus on off-road. At the Worlds, she finished
28th overall amongst the women, and fourth in the
25-29 age category, so got onto the stage at prize-
giving, and she describes it as a tough but amazing
experience.
“My next goal was the Sanlam Cape Town Trail Run,
where I finished third, and my then coach, Jacques
Janse van Rensburg, suggested I run the Sanlam
Cape Town Marathon the next day just to experience
a marathon. It was also the SA Champs Marathon for
that year, but I had obviously not been selected for
the Western Province team because I had not run a
marathon before, but I ran a 3:01 and finished third
Western Province woman in spite of not racing it hard.
Jacques then suggested I run the 2015 Old Mutual
Two Oceans Marathon, as he thought I was better
suited to ultra distance, and I finished 12th in 4:10,
and was first Western Province woman home. The rest
of 2015 was relatively quiet, I think because I was a
bit tired overall, but in 2016 I was 12th again at Two
Oceans.
Later that year Danette was back on the trails,
finishing fourth in the Hout Bay Trail Challenge 65km,
which doubled as the 2016 SA Ultra Distance Trail
Champs. Her goal was to qualify for the World Ultra
Distance Trail Champs, but in the end the SA team was
not sent to Spain. Still, the long run did prove useful.
“I also wanted to use it as a tester to see how long I
can run, to see if my legs can handle the time needed
for Comrades. It took me 10 hours to finish and
was very tough, but I felt OK, so when the SA team
was not sent to Worlds, I changed my focus to the
Comrades for the rest of the year. I still used shorter
trails to build my strength, but from November I put
my foot down on the road mileage.”
New Challenges
Looking ahead, Danette says her running focus for
the remainder of 2017 will centre on races, first the
Sanlam Cape Town Trail Run in September and then
the Old Mutual Soweto Marathon in November. “I’m
really excited about Soweto, as it will be my first race
at altitude since the Trail World Champs in 2014.
After that my focus will turn to the 2018 Two Oceans
and Comrades, and I’m also really excited about
running Oceans again, because next year it’s not as
close to Comrades, so I can do both, and I want to
go for a sub-4-hour time and a top 10 position. Also,
at the back of my mind I’m wondering about the
World 100km Champs… I would be really honoured
to represent my country again if we were to send a
team of women, and think I have the strength for the
distance. I’m curious and motivated for next year, and
excited to see what I can still achieve in running.
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