Navigational challenges but day one of THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN still a success

By Stephen Granger

An errant bakkie led to navigational challenges and something of a merry-go-round on Day One of the THIRSTI AFRICANX TRAILRUN Three-day Stage Race today (Saturday 19 March), but once order had been restored, the cream rose to the top with the strong-running Daniel Claassen and Kane Reilly of Team Salomon racing clear for an emphatic victory.

The first day was planned as a 24km trail between Houw Hoek Inn and Paul Cluver Estate, in the Groenlandberg – Elgin area, a reversal of the first day of last year’s race.

A farm bakkie had inadvertently parked in front of a critical directional arrow at the first refreshment station at 6km, with the leading teams continuing along a gravel road instead of completing a right angle turn onto a single-track trail.

The leading four or five men’s teams, the top two women’s pairs and the leading mixed category duo continued along the road, unaware of their error. “But I became a little nervous after a while due to the absence of any route markers,” admitted Kerry-Anne Marshall, the female half of the top mixed-category team, Team K-Way New Balance, running with multiple-AFRICANX winner, AJ Calitz. “We were running with one or two of the other men’s teams, with the top women’s teams about 100 metres behind us.

“But we just kept going until we saw the two top men’s teams – Kane and Daniel and Siviwe (Nkombi) and Retsipile (Khotle) – who had stopped in the road. Clearly we were all lost, but luckily a farmer drove ahead of us to show us a way back to the route. I think we likely ran an extra 3km or so with the top two men’s teams running a bit further.”

Once back on track Reilly and Claassen put down the hammer, dropping Nkombi and (Team Here to WIN) after a further two kilometres and ultimately overhauling the teams who had stayed on track, crossing the finish line at six minutes clear of the Here to WIN pair.

“It was a bit like an event in two parts,” Reilly admitted. “We ran the first six or seven quite fast with Siviwe and Retsipile staying in contact. We were a bit stronger on the uphills and they came strongly on the downs.

“We ran together with a few other teams to get back on track and then set off on a 15km race for line honours. It went well for us today – I think it’s an advantage to partner someone you train with. It was almost like an extension of our training programme! But its not over yet. Siviwe and Retsipile ran impressively. We couldn’t shake them in the first part and they could still come back at us tomorrow.”

The women’s team competition promises to be the most competitive of this year’s event and there was little to choose between the top two. Both teams (Team Blazing Blondies – Landie Greyling / Danette Smith and Team The Border Collies – Lijan van Niekerk / Marion Leiberich) missed the turn at the aid station and raced additional kilometres before finding their way back on track. Unlike the men’s teams, neither was able to regain the lead and Team Handle with Flair (Leonie Schoeman and Robyn Gardener), who stayed on the correct route, crossed the line in first place.

After conferring and accepting the navigational error was not the fault of the athletes, Van Niekerk and Leiberich were placed joint first with the Border Collies with the Blazing Blondies third, but still very much in the mix for overall honours.

RESULTS: Stage One 24 – 28km

STAGE 1

Date:  Saturday 19 March 2022

Distance:  +-24km

Start Venue:  Houw Hoek Hotel

Finish Venue:  Paul Cluver Wines

TOP 10 OPEN CATEGORY:  STAGE 1

OPEN MEN’S TEAMS: 

1 Kane Reilly and Daniel Claassen (Team Salomon) 01:47:46, 2 SiviweNkombi and RetsepileKhotle (Here to WIN) 01:56:24, 3 LivemoNyaude and Hakeem Smith (Team TBC) 01:59:21, 4  WandisileNongodlwana and Nicholas Rupanga (Team ASICS Mojos) 02:01:06, 5 Guido Tagge (Team 69) 02:03:35, 6 Casper Van Antwerpen and Jason Van Antwerpen (Team Revenants) 02:04:43, 7 Kurt Karstadt and De Wet Albertyn (Team 81) 02:13:08, 8 Andre Rohm and Hannes Nortman (Team Dirt Runners) 02:26:09, 9 Matthew Kane and Julian Vermeer (Team 80) 02:27:01, 10 Willie Roux and Johann Le Roux (Team The Brain and Pinky) 02:27:29

OPEN WOMEN’S TEAMS:

1 Robyn Gardener and Leonie Schoeman (Team Handle with Flair) 02:18:16, 1 Lijan Van Niekerk and Marion Leiberich (Team The Border Collies) 02:18:16, 2 RoelandeGreyling and Danette Walley (Team Blazing blondies) 02:20:27, 4 Marise Prinsloo and Madeleen Van Wyk (Team 373) 02:32:00, 5 Stephanie Laurie and Sarah Krumbock (Team DGAF) 02:33:35, 6

LiesbethSlabbert and Hester Le Riche (Team Laat Loop) 02:42:06, 7 Ilze Brand and AnnariJordaan (Team Smokin� Laces)

02:44:01, 8 Kerry-Ann Elson and Alison Kouvarellis (Team Easier said than run) 02:44:16, 9 Tarryn Moore and Candice Willard (Team Hell on heels) 02:45:17, 10 Sandi Brown and Corlia Coetzee (Walkie talkie) 02:51:06

OPEN MIXED TEAMS:  

1 Kerry-Ann Marshall and AJ Calitz (Team K-Way NewBalance) 02:01:15, 2 Liam Victor and Franza Landman (Team Fran & Liam) 02:12:24, 3 Greg Erlangsen and Melissa Laing (Team Pura) 02:12:42, 4 Brett Nattrass and Ronel Nattrass (Team Nattrass) 02:19:48, 5 Greg Korck and Chantal September (Team Suck it up buttercup) 02:20:43, 6 Jada Linstrom and Clinton Bosch (Team Limpuma Mojo) 02:24:02, 7 Justin Roome and MiekeRoome (Team Roomenators) 02:24:59, 8 Kennedy Sekuthe and MazuNdandani (Team Asics Trail KingxQueen) 02:29:01, 9 Sipho Mathebula and CocekaQomiyana (Team 670) 02:33:21, 10 Rocco Tallie and Marisa Logan (Team Wellness in the Wild) 02:34:59