Laxton back on the road

It was not her best time, but for the runner who has more than 70 national titles to her name, it was a time to celebrate.

In 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.

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.

“We’d been on holiday in the Eastern Cape, and Sonja must have hidden her RAC 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 painful shoulder, she finished third in the grandmaster category, well ahead of the 70 minutes her husband had predicted.

Her daughter Kim finished in 16th place, in 36.13 minutes, and immediately made her way back to find her mother and escort her to the finish line.

“I’m so proud of Sonja,” Ian said. “And the time she did is amazing, when you remember how badly she was injured.”

– Sapa