Swedish medical student, 24-year-old Gustav Runefors, and Cape Town trail runners, Michelle le Grange were crowned MiWayLife Two Oceans Trail Long Trail (22km) champions on the slopes of Devils Peak and Table Mountain this morning.
Johannesburg fitness trainer Tshepiso Khati and new Cape Town import, Leah Falcon, together with Sonique Esterhuizen, were declared the winners of the Short Trail (13 km) race.
While the return of the Two Oceans Trail Races was not without its challenges, many of the runners enjoyed the opportunity to race at sunrise on some of Cape Town’s finest trails.
The lack of GPX files for athletes, inadequate marking and a critical shortage of marshals led to runners in both races being ‘navigationally challenged’ at a number of points along the respective routes and running longer distances than the designated length.
But in the end there was much to celebrate as the best athletes on the day won the prizes, a supportive new sponsor in MiWayLife has come forward in support of trail and the foundation has been laid for a full and formal return of the Oceans Trail Races next year, taking their place among the most competitive trail events in South Africa.
Well-known road runner Renier Grobler made his second foray into trail running after competing in the AfricanX Trail Race some years back and was second across the line with a second Swedish medical student, Erik Herne, third.
“Yes it was a bit confusing out there,” admitted Runefors, a leading orienteering athlete from Gothenburg, Sweden. “But those trails are really spectacular, and it was a beautiful morning. Erik and I are working at Johannesburg General Hospital as part of our fifth-year medical degree and have been training with Hendrick Ramaala’s group at the Joburg Zoo. It’s our first trip to Cape Town.”
Cape Town road athlete Du-Wayne Philander led the field on the first climb from the start at the UCT tennis club, with Runefors, Grobler and Herne in close contact before Herne fell behind leaving the other three ahead at Kings Blockhouse.
A marshalling error sent the leaders onto the marked short course back towards Newlands Forest, while Herne continued correctly towards the City.
“We realised we had gone wrong from the Blockhouse,” Runefors explained. “But we struggled to find our way back onto the route. Eventually when we had run over 20km, we headed back towards the finish at the university. My watch registered 26km at the finish.”
Herne dropped down to Tafelberg Road too early, leaving veteran, Dom Wills, who has competed in every Two Oceans Long Trail race since their origin in 2010, to lead the field along the contour path, past Platteklip Gorge, before the descent below the Cable Way. Munro Munnik was in second through the Gorge with Nicholas Rupanga third.
Munnik overtook Wills on the return leg to cross the line behind Runefors, Grobler, Herne and Philander and was gracious in conceding that the quartet in front of him were the best on the day and that the results should stand.
Le Grange was given leave of absence from the Two Oceans Expo where she was working at the DHL Stadium with her new employer, Revive Rehydration, in order to compete in the trail race. She demonstrated considerable talent as a trail athlete for the future.
The 35-year-old started trail racing just last year, missing the podium at the 30km Winelands Maxi four weeks ago by just 40 seconds and led the field through Platteklip Gorge. Russian athlete Ekaterina Khoziainova was close behind in second with Jess Magner.
Showing solid navigation skills by staying on course throughout the race, Le Grange crossed the line in 2 hrs 36 min 57 sec to win by 18 minutes ahead of Morgan Volkmann with Jessica Magner overhauling early leader, Khoziainova, to take third.
UCT’s Simon Short led the Short Trail up an early hill before Khati and Msizi drew level. The trio stayed together for much of the out and back race to Kirstenbosch, before Khati’s climbing strength saw him run clear on the final climb up the tarred-road to Rhodes Memorial to win by just over a minute ahead of Msizi with Short third.
Early leader, Stellenbosch-based Leah Falcon, came home fourth across the line after running considerable additional distance, and given the uncertainty of finishing order in the women’s Short Trail Race, both Sonique Esterhuizen (first-across-the-line) and Falcon were awarded first prize.
Results
Long Trail 22km
*Ran off course
Men (SA unless otherwise indicated)
1 Gustav Runefors (Swe) 2:09:10 *; 2 Renier Grobler 2:09:54 *; 3 Erik Herne (Swe) 2:11:01 *; 4 Du-Wayne Philander 2:19:28 *; 5 Munro Munnik 2:24:37; 6 Dominic Wills 2:27:39; 7 Nicholas Rupanga 2:30:55; 8 Lonwabo Sparks 2:31:38; 9 Shaun King 2:32:29; 10 Sander van Doorn 2:36:52
Women
1 Michelle le Grange 2:36:57; 2 Morgan Volkmann 2:54:33 *; 3 Jessica Magner 2:56:31 *; 4 Ekaterina Khoziainova (Rus) * 2:56:47; 5 Janet Meyer 3:00:18
Short Trail 13km
Men
1 Tshepiso Khati 1:32:08; 2 Melikhaya Msizi 1:33:46; 3 Simon Short 1:34:40; 4 Thomas Lewin 1:50:29; 5 Raymond Castelyn 1:52:10
Women
1 Sonique Esterhuizen and Leah Falcon 1:54:02 *; 2 Nadine Anne de Kock and Rowena Visagie 1:58:58 *; 3 Edna Maldonado and Johanna Schmidtmann 2:00:05 *
