WENNIE Naicker, a sales administrator, is looking forward to completing her second Comrades Marathon and earning back-to-back medals. Wennie Naicker
WENNIE Naicker, a sales administrator, is looking forward to completing her second Comrades Marathon and earning back-to-back medals.
“I started running in October 2018, when the Chatsworth Athletic Club hosted its Saturday morning breakfast runs. My passion for running started growing and I then joined the club in January 2019," said Naicker, 46, of Shallcross.
"I ran many 21km races on the calendar. With the successful completion of each race, I decided to run my first marathon, the Deloitte Marathon in 2020, which was completed in good time.”
Naicker then joined the Love2Run Athletic club in 2022.
“In 2023, I completed my first Two Oceans Marathon, and I went on to conquer the Comrades Marathon in the same year. It was such an amazing experience and an electrifying atmosphere.
"Crossing the finish line made my early morning sacrifices so worth it. I clocked in at 10 hours and 58 minutes, earning a bronze medal. My hard work, perseverance, strength, and dedication to push my limits had certainly paid off.”
She said her running club, Love2Run, had motivated her to run and train harder.
“While running through the streets of Chatsworth, I crossed paths with many runners. My spirit for running grew stronger with the help and mentoring of fellow runners,” said Naicker.
Naicker runs alongside her brother Rennie Govender. Together, they completed the Two Oceans Marathon in 2023 and 2024.
She also has the support of her husband, family and friends.
In preparation for this year's Comrades Marathon, Naicker does weekly training runs and long runs at weekends. She said she was eating more protein-enriched foods.
Highlights from her 2024 running calendar are: running the India Mumbai Marathon in January; the Balwin Sport Dolphin Coast Marathon in March; and the 56km two Oceans Ultra Marathon in April.
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