It may have not been her best time, but for fans of the runner – who has more than 70 national titles to her name – it was a time to celebrate.
On 17 November last year, Laxton was hit by a car during a training run. She suffered multiple fractures, including shoulders, elbows, ribs, ankle and spine, and spent some time in intensive care at Milpark Hospital.
Many thought she would never be able to run again, but her indomitable spirit saw her back on the road in less than six months.
“It came as a surprise to me when I heard she was running,” said her husband, Ian, who is the manager of the Spar Grand Prix.
“We’d been on holiday in the Eastern Cape, and Sonja must have hidden her RAC [official running] clothes at the bottom of her suitcase, because we arrived in Port Elizabeth and she told me she was going to run.”
Despite a swollen ankle and a still painful shoulder, Laxton was the third grandmaster to finish – ahead of the 70 minutes Ian had initially predicted.
Her daughter Kim finished 16th, in 36:13:00, and immediately made her way back to find her mother and escort her to the finish line.
“I’m so proud of Sonja,” said Ian. “And the time she did is amazing, when you remember how badly she was injured.”
