Kimara Solms: A Journey from Doubt to Running Success

Kimara Solms, a 28-year-old film producer from Cape Town, has made significant strides in her running career, achieving personal bests of 36:08 in the 10K and 2:58:06 in the marathon. Initially uncertain about her running abilities, she completed her first half marathon in 2020 with a time of 1:52 and began training more seriously in 2022 after finding a coach.

This year, Solms finished 10th among women in the Cape Town Marathon’s 10K Peace Run, despite being seeded in a lower category. Her journey has not been without challenges, including an eating disorder and injuries, but she credits her determination and hard work for her progress. Solms emphasizes the importance of fueling her body for performance and has built a rigorous training schedule around her demanding work hours.

Looking ahead, she aims to break 17 minutes for 5K and run a sub-2:45 marathon in the Rotterdam Marathon next year. Solms encourages aspiring runners to find their motivation and maintain self-belief, as she believes that perseverance is key to achieving running goals.