36-year-old Spanish athlete, Pere Aurell, took charge of the 2020 Skyrun 100km at the halfway point with no other athlete in the field looking a threat to his title aspirations. Two hundred and fifty runners started the 24th edition of the Skyrun, being run today (November 14) in the Witteberg Mountains of the north-eastern Cape, at 4 am in perfect conditions.
Twice Skyrun champion, experienced Gauteng trail athlete, Lucky Miya, took the race to the Spaniard in the first half, setting a fast pace and at one stage held a three minute lead on his rival.
But Aurell, who won the Otter African Trail Run just two weeks ago, was never far off the pace and he caught Miya shortly before ‘Skiddaw’, 47km into the race, the two athletes passing the 2405m elevation point in 5 hr 27 min.
Pretoria’s Ruan van der Merwe, who had stayed with the leaders for the first three hours, was now 20 minutes behind in third, with veteran Johannesburg trail athlete and former road biking supremo, Jock Green, a minute ahead of Grobler Basson in fourt, over 30 minutes behind the lead.
Although over half-way in distance, the compulsory stop after 57 km at Balloch is traditionally regarded as the ‘real half way mark’ in terms of effort. Many athletes enjoy a substantial rest and restoration at Balloch, but the two leaders were in and out in a flash after their medical checks, Aurell ahead of Miya.
Ten kilometres further on the race had changed completely, with the Spaniard turning it into a one-horse race, passing Edgefield at 67km in 8 hrs 01 min and was on course to eclipse KZN athlete Iain Don-Wauchope’s 2014 record of 12:08:15, with Miya fading out of contention, 16 minutes in arrears. Green followed in third 40 minutes behind Miya, but the fourth-placed athlete had spectators talking.
Aurell’s wife, the vastly-experienced Dutch ultra-athlete, Ragna Debats, had moved strongly through the field from 15th and was just 10 minutes behind Green in 4th overall, looking strong and comfortable, having left Balloch over an hour ahead of her closest rival and course record-holder, Nicolette Griffioen.
With Miya and Green tiring and Debats flying a one-two for the talented husband and wife team could not be ruled out, although with four hours of racing ahead, the race for the ‘presidency of the Skyrun’ remained too close to call.
Gauteng ultra-marathoner and winner of last year’s MaXiRace Cape Winelands 100km, Simon Tshabalala, won the Skyrun 65km in record time, his 8:37:48 improving by three minutes AJ Calitz’ former record.
Trained by former world half marathon record-holder, Matthews Temane, Tshabalala ran with the 100km leaders in the early stages, the two races having started simultaneously, before falling behind the relentless pace set by Miya and Aurell. Tshabalala reached Balloch about 35 minutes after the two 100 km leaders – a measure of the exceptional pace set in the longer race.
The women’s race appears to be a straight contest between 2016 champion and record-holder, Nicolette Griffioen, currently South Africa’s leading ultra-distance athlete, and Dutch veteran athlete, Ragan Dabats, who placed third at the Otter – one position up on Griffioen.
