Distance runner Dominique Scott-Efurd opened her 2022 season in spectacular fashion on Sunday, shattering her 21.1km personal best at the Houston Half-Marathon in the United States.

Making a rare appearance on the road, track star Scott-Efurd finished third at the annual race in 1:07:32. The 29-year-old athlete took more than three minutes off her career best of 1:10:42 which she had set in the UK last year.

She was just 48 seconds outside the national half-marathon record of 1:06:44 held by former world record holder Elana Meyer, with Scott-Efurd running the fastest 21.1km time by a South African woman in more than 22 years.

Kenyan athlete Vicoty Chepngeno won the race in Houston in 1:05:03, clocking the fastest time ever run by a woman on North American soil.

Sara Hall finished second in 1:07:15, setting a US national record.

“We are very happy for her. It is a good start to the season. It is good to see that she can adapt to road running this early in the year. It gives her options at the international level,” said James Moloi, the President of ASA.