One of South Africa’s oldest and wildest trail challenges got underway today (November 14) as two hundred and fifty participants started out on the 24th edition of the SkyRun 100km, from from the town of Lady Grey in the country’s north-eastern Cape.
The challenging trail over 100km through the rugged Southern Drakensberg is regarded as one of the ‘must-do’ challenges for the region’s top ultra-distance trail athletes and today’s race, which for many will only reach completion by tomorrow, looks to be one of the most competitive in many years.
With the exception of top SkyRun competitor and 2018 winner, AJ Caltiz, and Ryan Sandes, recovering from an ankle injury sustained at the Otter African Trail Run, most of the country’s leading ultra-runners will be in action.
Two time champion, Lucky Mia of Gauteng, will be pushing for a hattrick of wins, but will be up against strong challenges from 2016 champion, Christian Greyling, who finished strongly to take fifth place in the Otter, and Pretoria athlete, Ruan van der Merwe, who recently set a fastest known time for the Six Peak Challenge in the George Mountains, and is in the form of his life.
Strong international competition will come from Spanish athlete, Pere Aurell, who recently won the Otter and who has won top international ultra-trail races in Europe. Whether he will be able to overcome a lack of knowledge of the unmarked course, which requires GPS navigation by athletes, only time will tell.
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.
After 18km and Miya, Aurell and Van der Merwe had opened a slight lead over veteran Jock Green and another former winner, Stewart Chaperon, as the frontrunners reached ‘Mount Olympus’. Van der Merwe then dropped behind, leaving Miya and his Spanish rival together at ‘Snowden’ in 3 hr 25 min 40 sec, two minutes up on Van der Merwe.
Debats was six minutes clear of Griffioen after the first hour of running, which she had opened to eleven minutes at Mount Olympus.
