Cape Town – Western Province Athletics (WPA) Landie Greyling, winner of the South African Marathon title at the Balwin Sport Peninsula Marathon in Cape Town on Sunday, first made a name for herself as an elite ultra distance trail runner excelling on the local and international stage.
The 41-year-old from Stellenbosch has been on top of her trail running game since 2011 and is no stranger to finishing on the podium having found herself in that position countless times in her career.
Greyling decided to transition to road running last year running the Two Oceans Ultra Marathon as a training run in preparation for the Comrades Marathon. In her first attempt she managed a credible 16th position
She only decided to run the Peninsula Marathon as a qualifier for this year’s 56km Two Oceans Ultra Marathon.
However, she surprised many including herself by being the first SA athlete representing Western Province Athletics (WPA) to cross the finish line in Simon’s Town on Sunday morning.
Jenna Challenor (2:51:24) representing Nedbank KZN was the first local athlete to finish the but was not competing in provincial colours, which disqualified her from the ASA title. The same applied to her clubmate Deanne Laubscher (02:53:51) running in the colours of Nedbank AGN.
Deanne Laubscher, Jenna Challenor and Landie Greyling Photo: Adnaan Mohamed
Greyling earned R20,000 for her effort, while Challenor took home R12,000 for her Peninsula Marathon victory, in challenging windy conditions.
Reflecting on the race, Greyling admitted, “When I woke up this morning, I really didn’t believe that I stood a chance of being crowned the SA Champ. I had no expectations other than trying to qualify for Two Oceans and Comrades, and to be honest, I was just aiming for a solid race.”
Greyling’s journey to road racing has been a gradual one. Last year, she used the Two
Oceans Marathon as a training run to familiarize herself with the demands of road racing, easing into the transition from her usual trail running terrain.
She showed her potential by placing 16th at Comrades in her first attempt at the gruelling ultra.
This year, however, the expectations are higher. “I didn’t want to do too much in my first year of road running,” she explained.
“But now that I’ve had a breakthrough, I’m aiming for a much better time at Two Oceans this year, and I’d love to get my back-to-back medal in Comrades.”
Greyling credits her trail running background for giving her the grit to push through the wind and fatigue and ultimately ended up with her being crowned SA Marathon Champion.
WPA’s Landie Greyling was crowned SA Marathon Champion Photo: Adnaan Mohamed
Before this her major local results include winning the Otter African Trail Run, Ultra Trail Cape Town 100km.
She has also won the Skyrun 100km thrice, the African X Three Day Stage Trail Run and the Two Oceans Trail run on four occasions
Internationally she boasts a 1st place at the Buffalo Stampede Ultra in Australia, a 1st place at the Grand Raid in the Pyranees in France.
Greyling was also 1st at the Riano Trail Run in Spain. She won the TransAlps 8-day stage race in Europe and placed 2nd at the prestigious Mont Blanc Marathon in France.
She also impressed with 4th positions at Les Templiers and Mont Blanc 80km in France as well as earning a 9th position at the World Ultra Trail Championships.
The fierce winds on the day made the race particularly challenging, but Greyling’s pedigree and experience as an accomplished trail runner underscores her ability to dig deep in tough conditions.
“I finished strong in the last 10km of the race. I think my trail running strength really helped me in the wind today,” she said.
“I just tried to grit my teeth and hold on for dear life as long as I could, but it was tough out there today. So, to everyone who ran, you ran a very windy Peninsula today. Finally, I can say I met the real South Easter.
“The wind was brutal, but I’ve been through tough conditions in trail races before, so I knew how to handle it.”
“Sometimes the best way to go about a race is not to put too much expectation on yourself,” she said.
“You just go out there, get the job done, and see what happens. The atmosphere was
amazing, and the support on the route was incredible. I was really battling in the first half, but I stayed patient and kept focusing on getting to the business end of the race.”
She also acknowledged the success of the ASA, WPA and Celtic Harriers-organized event.
“The organisers did an excellent job with the race,” Greyling said.
“I’m glad to be part of it and proud to now call myself the SA Champ.”
Despite the victory, she remains humble, saying, “I went out there to enjoy the race and to hit my qualifying time for Two Oceans.
“Now that I’ve won the SA Champs, I know there will be more expectations on me. But I don’t let others’ expectations get to me. I’ll put more pressure on myself to run a good Two Oceans and Comrades this year.”
Greyling also shared how she looks up to South African distance running legend Elana Meyer, who is not only a mentor but also a close running companion.
“Elana is an inspiration to me. She’s a flag bearer for distance running in South Africa, and it’s great to have her as a mentor. We run together in a girl’s group, and I feel lucky to have someone like her living in my town.”
Looking ahead, Greyling is excited about her road running future.
“I’m grateful for everything I’ve achieved so far, but I’m only getting started. I have big goals ahead, and I’m ready to give it my all.”
