One of South Africa’s legendary athletes intends graduating through to Comrades 2012.
Zola Pieterse (Budd) has been bitten by the Comrades bug and intends entering the Ironman and the down-run Comrades on 3 June next year.
Pieterse is in the country promoting the Newton forefoot and spent three days working at the Bonita’s Comrades Expo in Durban.
“The atmosphere here is amazing,” said the 1984 Olympian and previous world 3000m record holder. “ I want to do Comrades and Ironman. I’m not sure whether I can do both in the same year, but next year I would want to line up for Comrades.”
Part of that plan will include a flat marathon in December near her Myrtle Beach home in Carolina on the east coast of United States.
Pieterse turned 45 last Thursday and based on her recent race performances, were she to race she would be capable of earning a silver medal with a sub seven hour thirty minute finish and potentially close to a gold medal.