For Camille Herron, the Comrades Marathon in South Africa was more than just a climb to the finish—it was the culmination of a lifetime of uphill challenges that gave her the fortitude to win.“People always want to know where I get my mental strength from,” Herron, 35, said. “I’ve been through some traumatic things in my life, so when the going gets tough and I’m fighting my hamstrings or fighting a course like Comrades, I just think about all those hard moments that I’ve had to overcome and how much this means, not just to me personally, but to all those people who have believed in me and supported me all this time.”
When she crossed the line in 6:27:35, Herron became the first American Comrades champion since Ann Trason won in 1997.
Alberto Salazar is the only other American to win the historic race, which he did in 1994.
