Caroline Wöstmann, winner of both the 2015 Comrades and Old Mutual Two Oceans ultra-races, has set herself a new challenge: She wants to qualify for next year’s Olympic Marathon.
She has been invited to compete in the New York Marathon in November and Lindsey Parry, head coach at the High Performance Centre (HPC), said much will depend on her performance in New York. “If Caroline manages to run a time close to or faster than 2 hours and 35 minutes, I think next year’s Olympic Marathon will be our next goal. I would then like her to run a second marathon round about April next year, where her goal should be to run a time as close as possible to 2 hours and 30 minutes. If she manages to do that, she will probably be one of South Africa’s top-three female marathon athletes.”
Wöstmann’s current best marathon time is 2 hours and 44 minutes, which means that the Nedbank runner will have to improve by nearly 14 minutes during the next 11 months, but if she has proven anything this year, it is that she is not one to shy away from a challenge, and she says she likes the challenge of setting herself a goal and then working hard towards achieving it. “Every time I thought about the Comrades I visualised winning, so nothing is impossible. The only limitations we have are the limitations we put on ourselves, and I will never limit myself by saying I am not capable of doing something. I strive to give it my best and if I don’t succeed it is OK. It is not the end of the world. All that matters is that I enjoy what I am doing.”
“After winning the Comrades it feels as if I have achieved my ultimate goal. Obviously Comrades will still be there next year, but I feel I should challenge myself by doing something else, something new which I have not done before. I like the uncertainty of pushing the boundaries, not knowing whether it is possible to break through.”