Charmaine’s race history – briefly
First marathon: Wineland’s Marathon in Stellenbosch, South Africa, 1991
First Ultra marathon: Two Oceans 56km, Cape Town, and Comrades Marathon Durban to Pietermaritzburg (up run) 87-90km, both in 1992. Here’s the “down” elevation profile for Comrades:
| Race | Distance Km’s | Finish time PR’s |
| Comrades Marathon (Ultra) | 86.7 | 7:52:33 |
| Two Oceans Ultra Marathon | 56 | 4:33:29 |
| False bay Ultra Marathon | 50 | 3:56:08 |
| Marathons | 42.2 | 3:12:00 |
| 30 km | 30 | 2:22:00 |
| Half Marathons | 21.1 | 1:32:00 |
| 10 Km | 10 | 0:42:26 |
| 5 Km | 5 | 0:20:50 |
| Time Trials | 8 | 0:34:24 |
| Time Trials | 4 | 0:16:28 |
Running a marathon or Ultra-marathon in South Africa should definitely be on your bucket list. I have many favorites, but top of the list is Comrades Marathon (89 km) and Two Oceans marathon (56 km). Use this link to see for yourself!
Estimated number of races completed in SOUTH AFRICA 1989-2003 (roughly 190+)
| Distance in Km | Number |
Road Races (rough estimate)
| 10 – 21 km | 83 |
| 25 – 36 km | 17 |
| 42.2 km | 63 |
| 50 – 56 km | 14 |
| 87 – 89 km | 10 |
Mountain/ Trail races
| 50-80 km | 4 |
USA races run since 2004 (20+)
Ultra Marathons (trail & mountain): Black Mountain 40miles; Rocky Raccoon 50 Km; Bandera 50 Km Marathons: New York (my very first race in the U.S.), Houston (2), Austin, Boston, Big Sur. 21–30 km Sugar Land (5), Huntsville, Houston (3), San Antonio, Armstrong Redwoods
Mountain Trails: Not tracked, these are impromptu, for fun! They have the added advantage of building strong legs and improving balance.