Caroline Wostmann cleared for Comrades title defence

Caroline Wostmann’s camp has breathed a collective sigh of relief, after the ultra-distance runner had faced an injury scare at the weekend, just seven weeks ahead of her ‘up’ run title defence at the Comrades Marathon.

Wostmann, who won the Two Oceans contest in Cape Town in 2015 and 2016, dropped out of the annual 56km race on Saturday after feeling pain in her hamstring.

Her coach Lindsey Parry confirmed on Monday, however, it was not a hamstring injury but a niggle in her hip which had tightened the muscle, and he was confident Wostmann would be able to prepare sufficiently for the 87km Comrades race in June.

After winning the 2015 ‘up’ run, a cramping Wostmann was chased by Charne Bosman during last year’s ‘down’ run in KwaZulu-Natal, and she had entered the Two Oceans race as part of her build-up to the longer event between Durban and Pietermaritzburg.

“The injury isn’t serious… and I’m confident it won’t affect training this week, which was a planned easy week anyway,” Parry said.

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