One of the windiest Ultra-trail Cape Town days in its eleven-year history produced two new champions in the Peninsula Traverse 55km this morning (Friday 21 November) on a dramatic opening of the three-day festival of international trail running in Cape Town.
German Johannes Wingenfeld, 25, and 23-year-old Southern Cape athlete, Rebecca Kohne, upset pre-race predictions and raced home to emphatic victories and R30 000 in prize money. Wingenfeld raced home in 5 hrs 13 min 26 sec, seven minutes clear of three-times champion, Robbie Simpson of Scotland, while Kohne crossed the line at the wind-routed finish at the Gardens Rugby Club in Oranjezicht in 6:11:44, five minutes clear of French athlete, Olivia Duberne.
Although running under foreign flags, both Simpson and Duberne have spent significant time on Cape Town’s trails in recent years, Duberne choosing the Mother City as home for six months of the year, working remotely for a French tech company.
Given the adverse conditions and longer course than in previous years, both Wingenfeld and Kohne excelled on the trails. Wingenfeld’s time was just 13 minutes slower than Simpson’s 2022 record and equals the second fastest time in the four-year history of the 55km race, while Kohne’s time was 24 minutes outside Toni McCann’s 2023 winning effort and the fourth fastest in the race’s history.
While relatively unknown outside Germany, Wingenfeld is no trail novice and has been running trails since he was 12 years old. He is part of Team Shamel which flies under the banner ‘Trail Running team from Baiersdorf, at home in the mountains’.
Wingenfeld is no stranger to podiums, having won the Chiemgau 39km in Germany in May this year, the Alpe Adreia 26,5km in Austria in June and the Oberaudorf Trail Festival 24km in Germany last month. A lieutenant in the German Defence Force, he enjoys the opportunities he has been given to pursue his passion for mountaineering and trail running.
“I run trails because it’s the simplest and most natural form of mountaineering,” Wingenfeld said. “I’m drawn to the challenge of reaching a summit, completing a tour, or finishing a circuit as quickly as possible. The combination of speed and risk, and the feeling of freedom in a demanding and natural environment, is crucial for me.”
Wingenfeld, who moved from the flat vineyards of Germany to the mountainous region in Bavaria to pursue his passion, discovered trail running through his love for mountaineering and he seeks out the high-altitude, technical sky-runs as his preferred competition.
“I came to race this because of its high technical difficulty and so I could use my hiking power at speed,” the German athlete added.
While many struggled in the high wind and warm conditions, Wingenfled appeared to thrive, although he has never before raced in such wind. “I think they would cancel a race in Europe if the wind was this strong!” he said. “The worst was on Chapman’s Peak, when we were being blown around, although the beach was also tough, when the sand blasted us from the side.”
He rates his UTCT win this morning as the most important of his career and was excited at the prospect of returning to Table Mountain’s trails in 2027 if he could challenge for a place in the German team.
Wingenfeld was content to allow experienced South African trail athlete, Kane Reilly, to set the pace up the steep climb up Suther Peak, 10km into the race, and was part of the lead pack of four (with Reilly, Simpson and Australian Charles Hamilton) through the Hout Bay Aid Station at 17km.
Using his technical skills on the testing single-track trail between East Fort and Constantia Nek, Wingenfeld broke clear and was a minute ahead of Simpson running over the Nek, 25km into the race, with Reilly a further two minutes behind.
Simpson used his speed to draw level with Wingenfeld on the more runnable descent into Constantia Valley and held a slight lead coming out of the Alphen Aid Station at 33km.
Wingenfeld made his decisive move on the climb towards Cecilia Forest and was a minute clear of Simpson through the Nursery Ravine Aid Station 17km from home, with Reilly and Hamilton a further 13 minutes back and virtually out of contention for top prize.
Simpson was running strongly approaching Newlands Forest but proved no match for Wingenfeld, who was six minutes clear through the Forest Picnic Aid Station with just 10km left to run and he increased the gap by a further minute before racing home to an impressive victory.
Kohne has come a long way from her track days at York High School, when she switched to the trails to reduce her injury load. No stranger to adventure, Kohne has travelled to races in many parts of the planet but loves nothing better than to run in the Outeniqua Mountains at home, where she holds the record for the Six Peak Chalenge.
With athletes of the calibre of South Africa’s Bianca Tarboton and Germany’s Kimi Schreiber in the field, Kohne had not foreseen a top of the podium place but she persevered, moved up the field and eventually found herself out in front.
“It was an amazing day for me out there,” Kohne refleted. “I learnt a lesson not to count yourself out until the end! My legs were a bit tender at times, but generally it was a pretty smooth day for me.
“The toughest part of the race was the wind for sure, getting blasted by the sand on Hout Bay beach was painful! I like the climbing, so I think that was my best part.”
Hometown favourite, Tarboton, has enjoyed a stellar year on trails at home and abroad, but the UTCT cherry on the top proved elusive, her body refusing to respond to her will. Nonetheless, she took the lead from the start and looked well in control through the Aid Stations at Rocket Road (7km) and Hout Bay (17km).
Tarboton held a two minute lead over her TERREX teammate, Schreiber, through Hout Bay, while Ram Maya Budha from Nepal and Kohne were a further minute back.
Usually strong on the ascents, Tarboton struggled on the leg to Constantia Glen, while Schreiber fell heavily on the testing descent towards Constantia Nek. Both athletes had fallen behind and appeared out of contention through the halfway mark at Constantia Glen.
Kohne, who had paused to assist Schreiber after her fall, was now in full stride in pursuit of new race leader, Nepalese athlete, Ram Maya Budha.
Budha was more than two minutes clear of Kohne at the Alphen Aid Station, 33km into the race, but Kohne’s strength on the climb saw her take the lead into Cecilia Forest and she was already two minutes clear of Budha through Nursery Ravine and on her way to a superb victory.
Starting conservatively, Duberne gradually moved up the field before overtaking Budha in Newlands Forest and moving into second place, which she held until the finish.
Results
Peninsula Traverse 55km
Men
1 Johannes Wingenfeld (Germany) 5:13:26; 2 Robbie Simpson (Scotland) 5:20:35; 3 Charles Hamilton (Australia) 5:33:38; 4 James Miller (RSA) 5:47:11; 5 Kane Reilly (RSA) 5:57:52; 6 Miguel Heras (Spain) 6:05:38; 7 Mvuyisi Gcogco (RSA) 6:09:29; 8 Alex Zono (RSA) 6:14:35; 9 John April (RSA) 6:16:28; 10 Konstantinos Paradeisopoulos (Greece) 6:21:13
Women
1 Rebecca Kohne (RSA) 6:11:44; 2 Oliva Dubern (France) 6:16:59; 3 Ram Maya Budha (Nepal) 6:21:28; 4 Rebecca Watney (RSA) 6:44:22; 5 Nadia Booyens (RSA) 7:07:04; 6 Beatriz Parron Alvarez (Spain) 7:08:40; 7 Kim Schreiber (Germany) 7:11:42; 8 Bianca Tarboton (RSA) 7:11:43; 9 AndreaOsterloh (RSA) 7:27:30; Jaime Ferara (RSA) 7:47:24
Kickstarter 16km
Men
1 Mhlengi Chili (RSA) 1:22:54; 2 Simon Goldsborough (RSA) 1:24:22; 3 Sbahle Ndlovu (RSA) 1:27:21; 4 Ruben Hanekom (RSA) 1:27:55; 5 Ludovic Ducrotoy (France) 1:29:53
Women
1 Karin Hahn (Germany) 1:31:58 (record); 2 Lisa Geffen (RSA) 1:35:09; 3 Nina Andreassen (Norway) 1:37:00; 4 Linde van der Burgh (RSA) 1:38:59; 5 Ziya Wessels (RSA) 1:41:16
