Nearly 20 years have passed since she won the Comrades Marathon in 1993, but not much has changed for Tilda Tearle. With her slight figure and trademark ponytail blonde hair, Tilda is still a regular face at road running events in KwaZulu-Natal, her home province. Most noticeable in all of Tilda’s achievements over the last 20 years was her attitude towards running long distances, and this was her supreme asset. Today she still runs for the pure love of it. Running is her daily prescription, and hers remains a face that inspires young runners to keep going.

RUNNING HABITS

In every photograph of Tilda Tearle through the decades, she has been pictured running with her iconic blonde ponytails or plaits – a big-race routine. “It is such a habit that I feel uncomfortable if I tie my hair up any other way,” she explains. She has other habits, too, like running with her trusted hankie – without it, she feels completely lost. On a training run before a competitive race, she wears her intended race socks and if it’s not a good run, she won’t run in them come race day. She’ll keep trying out different pairs of socks to find the perfect match. Everything has to be tried and tested! And before a big race, Tilda has a cup of filter coffee, saying that she would feel distressed without it.

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