Lucille Damon was the first woman to earn a triple Blue Number at the Two Oceans ultra marathon and she did so in style with 30 consecutive finishes from 1990 to 2019. Lucille thought she was done with the ultra after Covid but, after running the half marathon post-Covid in 2022, she realised that she preferred the longer Two Oceans route (which includes some actual views of the ocean) and has added another two voyages to her count.
A full audit of Lucille’s Two Oceans general ledger shows that she’s accrued 32 ultra marathon medals (with a best time of 4:27:56 on her 10th run in 1999) and the solitary 2022 half marathon. After the 2025 event, Lucille and Sharon Bosch jointly hold the ladies record Two Oceans ultra finishes – and just like her record, Lucille proved difficult to track down.
After posting a “Neck and Neck on the Nek” social media post acknowledging these two great ladies and mentioning that a full article on Sharon would be following, a comment from Warren Espey said, “I think a story on both amazing women should be done, knowing Lucille personally I think these ladies both deserve a write up as its fallen on deaf ears over the years.”
I agreed and popped a message to Warren saying that I had been trying in vain to make contact. Warren told me, “She is a very humble person and HATES limelight.” Lucille has been Warren’s dad’s partner for the last 24 years and he put me in contact.
True to form, Lucille mentioned that there were already a couple of articles written about her after her 30th Oceans, one in the Business Day (a lovely piece by Mark Etheridge which is well worth reading) and another in the local newspaper, and she was worried that further articles would “bore readers”. I assured her that this would not be the case and that I would do my best to take things a little ‘left field’.
READ MORE: Mark Etheridge – Lucille Damon’s a ‘good egg’ when it comes to Two Oceans history
Lucille has been teaching accounting at Wynberg Girls High School for four decades and I thought that this would be an interesting angle to explore. As it turned out, I thought the article would work best in a straight ‘question and answer’ format (with the odd accounting pun thrown in for good measure). So here is the interview with Lucille…
TRM: Do your learners ever ask you running-related questions to try and distract you from teaching during lessons?
Lucille: When you start teaching, to maintain good discipline and control, experienced teachers will remind you not to smile until after Easter. When is Two Oceans, Easter. So not too many questions and distractions. You however, get to know your classes (learners) and give in to answer their questions and comments at times. After Two Oceans they will compliment you on your achievement and ask some questions. I was a relatively strict teacher and once again you get to know the diligent learners and the chancers who want to pull the wool over your eyes and distract and waste time.
Coming into contact with them now, some would say they enjoyed the discipline and others would say, Errr she was so strict.
[TRM: I get the feeling that had I ever had Ms Damon as a teacher, I would have been listed under ‘liabilities’ or possibly even bad debts – and there would have been some difficult conversations at parent/teacher evenings…]
TRM: Do you ever include running related questions in tests and exams?
Lucille: A few years ago you were able to ask running related questions or ask them to do a project on Sports Clubs and Societies, this is no longer part of the syllabus. I do occasionally mention names of top runners, but not everyone is interested in running or knows runners. I clearly remember asking a class to do a project on Clubs and Societies, and one learner did it on Celtic Harriers. I saw photographs of a runner, and asked whether it was her brother, answer was, no it’s my father. Mmmmm.
TRM: Do you try to inspire your learners to take up running?
Lucille: I certainly did try; road running and cross country were my extra-mural activities. I had extremely fit and talented ladies over the years who were triathletes and ran shorter distances. We had great training sessions and this helped me with my fitness level and speed. You could not give in, so had to dig deep to keep up with them. Running up Southern Cross Drive was part of our route. Going up my tongue was hanging out and just about dragging on the ground, but going down, my favourite, I was then able to take them on.
It was difficult at school level as learners participated in Water Polo and Swimming in Summer and then Hockey and Netball in Winter. After school some started running and many run the half marathon. I recently came into contact with an ex learner who now captains the South African ladies Hockey team and runs to maintain her fitness.
TRM: Did you ever see your learners at the side of the road whilst running?
Lucille: Running the Peninsula and Two Oceans, it was so stimulating and encouraging when learners were along the way supporting their parents, family or friends and here I came along. Some would shout, go Miss Damon, others would sheepishly whisper but I could hear, “There goes Ms Damon.” Those around would realise and comment that I was a teacher. There goes the running teacher (almost like the galloping granny years ago).
TRM: What advice would you give to someone running their first Two Oceans in 2026?
Lucille: To run Two Oceans 2026, top of the list, train properly. Start training now, get into running half marathons comfortably. Do the 10ks to help with speed. Qualify early so you are not in the predicament some runners experienced this year with the wind we had [at Peninsula Marathon]. An uncontrollable variable and you just do not know what could happen on the day. I’d suggest to only run Two Oceans after a year of running to prevent injuries. Too much too soon is not a good idea.
[TRM: In accounting terms, this would be making sure that you’ve got sufficient cash flow before running an ultra.]
TRM: You ran the half marathon in 2022– why the switch from the ultra to the half?
Lucille: I ran the Two Oceans Half marathon after Covid and thought at that time, I had achieved my goal which was to run 30 Two Oceans and 15 Comrades. Comrades I had already completed years ago. Ratio 2:1 (number game comes into the equation). But then maybe FOMO, and I decided to go back to the Ultra.
TRM: How would you compare the half to the ultra?
Lucille: The half marathon was too short, too many novices, no etiquette, being run off your feet as happened this year to a number of runners. This drove me crazy as well (the teacher in me coming out again). When I looked again we were approaching the turn off to UCT. No beautiful coastline, no Chappies, and no gruelling Constantia Nek, so it was back to the Ultra in 2023.
TRM: You must have been very disappointed to narrowly miss 7 hours in 2023 – what went wrong that year and what did you learn?
Lucille: It was a disappointing run, but what do you expect? What you put in is what you get out. Bottomline, not enough training and running the half marathon the year before did not help matters either. You tend to think because you have been running for so many years you will be able to cope with the distance. Definitely not, you need to train and more so, train even harder the older you get.
[TRM: I’ve also experienced that fitness depreciates far faster as one gets older.]
TRM: As an accounting teacher, do you also keep a meticulous general ledger of your race results and training?
Lucille: I kept a record of my training routes, times and mileage but did not go overboard with it. Things change and your training changes, you maybe become a bit blasé and now I just use my daily diary.
TRM: As an accounting teacher, how do you ensure that you balance the “work / life” books?
Lucille: Extremely important for me to balance my work and life books. As they say: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, all work and no play makes Lucille a dull and boring gal. Not only a strong balance between work and life but also have a time to relax, let your hair down and enjoy life to maintain your sanity. After teaching a full day, and especially Accounting where you need to be top of your game, balancing, calculations and everything which goes with Accounting you need to have a break. My training took place in the afternoons and evenings at the Club. Then obviously the longer runs on a Saturday and Sunday. Also important rest days are important for recovery. Pounding the tar everyday results in fatigue, sore muscles and results in injury.
TRM: What has kept you going for so many years?
Lucille: Running has been part of my life for 35 years. Besides the camaraderie, personal achievements, the thrill of challenges, it is the people now friends who I have met over all the years and continue to meet. Taking you all over the country and world. The encouragement and inspiration. The ability to impart my knowledge and experiences which keeps me going. The fact that you have been part of motivating learners, colleagues, family and friends to run and have been part of my journey.
TRM: Do you have any special memories from Two Oceans? Any favourite runs or interesting anecdotes from the race?
Lucille: My sister and I started our journey together, running our first marathon, Two Oceans and Comrades and that has been very special. She still runs but resides in the Netherlands. We invited runners to join us and experience the world’s most beautiful race. That year we experienced the worst weather conditions. It rained from the start to the end and it was certainly not a pleasure to even socialise in the international marque as it was like a river, but they came and they conquered.
For a number of voyages, I was ahead of my sister, Gillian, and one year everything went according to plan for her voyage and the whole way I had to hear that she was ahead of me. On completion of the run, we were chatting and obviously this came up. Her response was, what about all the years when you were ahead and how I felt, everyone commenting and telling me that you were ahead. No sibling rivalry, we just enjoyed our running although she was the better runner by far and still is.
TRM: Last question. You and Sharon Bosch are now neck and neck on an incredible 32 ultra finishes – and I hope you both keep going and have many more finishes left in your legs. Do you have a message for Sharon?
Lucille: To Sharon, well done on your achievements at both Two Oceans and Comrades and may you continue to conquer many more voyages.
TRM: And I’m sure that we all wish both Two Oceans matriarchs, Lucille and Sharon, many more credits on their cash flow statements.
READ MORE: Who’s the Bosch? (Two Oceans’ record breaking matriarch)
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Lucille, is a 16th Comrades in the offing to keep the TOM/Comrades ratio intact ? ?
Just asking for a friend … 😉
I was the Celtic Harriers student! Can’t believe Ms Damon holds that memory as much as my family and I do😂 Dad is slowly not looking like my brother anymore haha!
Always in awe of Ms Damon’s achievements – what a great article.