The inaugural Kromrivier Beast 45km trail adventure in the Cederberg could hardly have taken place in wilder weather, ensuring the event not only lived up to its name but also won huge praise on social media for what will undoubtedly become a sought-after fixture on the calendar of any mountain runner in the region.
After a week of perfect calm, cool and sunny weather conditions a massive cold front broke on the Cederberg Wilderness just hours before dawn on race day – Saturday 15 May – affording runners a significantly more challenging adventure and a summit view from just one of the six peaks – the first, Sugarloaf, which instead blasted runners with an icy wind.
But far from complaining, the 56 mountain runners who arrived at the start-line an hour before sunrise, had nothing but praise for the race, the route and the organisation, vowing to return to enjoy the views from the 1700m plus peaks.
Remarkably, only seven runners were unable to complete the race, with not a single incapacitating injury among the participants. “One woman asked for a bit of Savlon for a minor head cut she suffered along the way – and that was it,” said Derik Nieuwoudt, manager of the Kromrivier farm and 7th generation of the intrepid Kromrivier Nieuwoudts, who was responsible for the identification and construction of a new trail for the race, connecting some of the more unexplored peaks of the Cederberg. “I was amazed that there weren’t more significant falls or injuries.”
The closest the winner, Nelius Swart, came to a fall was a half-stumble as he was standing at the foot of Sugarloaf, trying to identify an optimal route of ascent. “Runners are more focused in gnarly conditions like this,” explained race organiser, Trevor Ball. “It’s only when they relax and lose focus that they are more likely to slip and fall.”
“We had such fun!!” said seasoned mountain runner, Kylie Hatton, one of the ‘old school’ from the early years of trail running. “It was quite wild weather at times! We will definitely check out the route again because I think we missed some beautiful views. But it was my kind of run – not too much razzmatazz, just good exploring!”
“It was about perfect for the first event,” reflected Ball. “If the definition of ‘adventure’ is an activity with an uncertain outcome, this one was a cooker. The weather dumped a deluge on us but everyone came out stronger. I’m stoked! Every wave starts with a ripple, but this one started in the bowl of Dungeons (the world-famous giant wave break off Hout Bay)!
“Everyone had a total ‘Everest moment’. Only seven did not complete the full course – a tribute to the quality field of real mountain runners. This route will always evolve. There are more peaks, more magical scenery to add, but the distance of 40 – 45km works well for a day outing.
“My vision for this race was to provide an opportunity to share lifetime mountain memories with like-minded folk. This is not for everyone. If we get busier, we will operate over 2 weekends. This is an event where everyone feels special.
“We want to keep it real – a small, personal, friendly event for people not interested in trophies, prize money or accolades and who opt to step outside the mould of more traditional sporting competition.”
The current farm owner, Philip Nieuwoudt, has seen just about everything to do with mountains in his life at Kromrivier, but nothing quite like ‘The Beast’. “My dad enjoyed himself watching the runners come in, but I don’t think he could quite believe what he saw,” admitted Derik Nieuwoudt.
“My dad and grandfather were both keen mountain walkers and were used to seeing tough mountain hikers taking on one of these peaks in a day. But he was amazed that so many runners summited six peaks in one day in the toughest weather conditions – and some in just six hours!”
Story by Stephen Granger
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